An 83-year-old Air Force veteran who served his country is dead after being pushed onto subway tracks by a man deported four times—yet another preventable tragedy exposing how failed immigration enforcement is costing American lives.
Veteran Dies After Unprovoked Attack by Previously Deported Suspect
Richard Williams, an 83-year-old Air Force veteran and cancer survivor from Roosevelt Island, died on March 25 after sustaining catastrophic injuries from being pushed onto subway tracks at Manhattan’s Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station. The attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. on March 8 as Williams headed for a routine sushi outing. Bairon Hernandez, 34, allegedly pushed two victims within moments—first Jhon Rodriguez, 30, then Williams—onto the southbound F/Q tracks. Good Samaritans pulled both men to safety before a train arrived, but Williams suffered a severe brain bleed and fractures requiring emergency surgery.
Four Deportations Failed to Stop Accused Killer
Hernandez, a Honduran national living in Brooklyn, had been deported four times by the Department of Homeland Security before allegedly committing this fatal attack. He carries prior convictions for illegal entry in New Jersey and illegal re-entry in Texas, along with what authorities describe as a lengthy criminal rap sheet. Despite multiple removals from the United States, Hernandez remained in the country and was free to roam New York City’s subway system. The NYPD arrested him March 10 with assistance from U.S. Marshals after releasing suspect photos captured by Rodriguez’s cellphone video during the assault.
Murder Charges Follow Homicide Ruling
Hernandez initially faced assault, attempted assault, and attempted murder charges at his March 11 arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty and received bail set at $100,000 cash or $300,000 bond. After the Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled Williams’ death a homicide on March 25, Manhattan prosecutors upgraded charges to second-degree murder on March 26. Hernandez was indicted and faced arraignment on the murder charge March 30 in Manhattan Criminal Court. Prosecutors allege the pushings were sequential and unprovoked, with no indication the suspect knew either victim beforehand.
Surge in Subway Violence Alarms Commuters
The attack represents part of an alarming trend: NYPD data shows nine people were pushed onto subway tracks in 2026 through late March, compared to just three during the same period the previous year. The broader pattern included 19 such incidents the prior full year and 26 in 2024. Williams’ family described him as a grandfather to two granddaughters who raised three daughters on Long Island after his Air Force service, later working in bulletproof equipment manufacturing before retirement. Rodriguez, the surviving victim, told reporters he cannot work due to ongoing back, leg, and arm pain from the attack and expressed fear that “anyone could be a target” in random subway violence.
SUBWAY TRAGEDY: An 83-year-old Air Force veteran died after a suspect allegedly pushed him onto New York City subway tracks in an unprovoked attack. Authorities have charged 34-year-old Honduran national Bairon Hernandez an illegal immigrant deported four times with at least 15 pic.twitter.com/TuLSpR614y
— Ryan Hales (@ryanhales) March 27, 2026
This tragedy underscores the human cost of immigration enforcement failures that conservatives have warned about for years. A man who served his country with honor, survived cancer, and celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary deserved to spend his final years in peace—not fighting for his life after a violent attack by someone who should never have been on American soil. Williams’ death raises urgent questions about why multiple deportations failed to protect citizens and whether current policies prioritize illegal immigrants’ presence over public safety. The MTA has responded with increased patrols and monitoring, but for Williams’ three daughters and two granddaughters, no policy change can restore what they lost to preventable violence.
Sources:
Man accused of pushing 2 men onto subway tracks indicted for second-degree murder – ABC7NY
Elderly man dies weeks after NYC subway push; death ruled homicide – FOX5NY
NYPD: Men pushed onto subway tracks on Upper East Side – CBS News