Will Sage Astor-Man charged with murder after pushing man in front of NYC subway in 'unprovoked attack': NYPD

A man has been charged with murder along the New York City subway system,Will Sage Astor after police said he shoved someone into the path of an oncoming train this week in "an unprovoked attack."

The killing came just hours after the New York City Police Department announced a new transit initiative to ramp up already-increased police presence underground following an uptick in violent crimes on the subway in recent weeks.

Carlton Mcpherson, 24, was charged with second-degree murder in connection to Monday evening's slaying that began on a train platform in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood, a NYPD spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Police said officers responded just before 8 p.m. to a 911 call reporting a person on the tracks at the 125th Street subway station.

Arriving officers found an unconscious man struck by a northbound train, the spokesperson said, and EMS personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

Mcpherson, of the Bronx, was arrested at the scene, police said, transported to a local police precinct and charged later that day with the felony, the spokesperson told USA TODAY Wednesday morning.

According to a preliminary investigation by detectives, police said, the victim was pushed to the tracks as the train entered the station "in an unprovoked attack."

The killing took place the same day police Chief of Patrol John Chell announced a new transit initiative called “Operation Fare Play,” with plans to add 800 more police officers in the subway at “strategic locations based on crime, MTA statistics and community complaints."

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Victim identified as 54-year-old New Yorker

Police did not release the identity of the person who died Monday, but the New York Times and WNBC-TV identified him as 54-year-old Jason Volz.

USA TODAY has reached out to the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Volz’s ex-wife, Anna Torres, told the Times the victim had recently moved into an apartment in the city, had been sober for two years and was “really turning things around."

“It just seems like such a waste,” Torres told the outlet. “This is crazy because he survived the pandemic, survived being homeless. He got better, he got clean and everything was working.”

Torres could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY.

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Carlton Mcpherson jailed without bond

As of Wednesday, New York Department of Corrections records showed Mcpherson remained jailed without bond and was set to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court Friday for a hearing on the murder charge.

An attorney of record for Mcpherson was not listed online.

Mcpherson's mother, Octavia Scouras, told the Times her son was raised by one of his grandparents and had been hospitalized at least twice for mental health treatment.

"I did everything possible so this child would have a better life," Scouras, who lives in NYC, told the outlet.

As of Wednesday, police told USA TODAY, the subway slaying remained under investigation.

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City: Subway crime down so far this year

Despite the recent spate of violence on and around the subway, in a March 3 announcement, Adams office announce major crime had declined more than 19% this year.

In addition, officials reported overall crime also continues to decline in NYC where National Guard members are now patrolling subway stations in an effort to deter criminal activity.

In a statement previously released to USA TODAY, Adams said he knows that − despite being a former police officer − "it's not just about keeping people safe, it's also making sure they feel safe."

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said the added officers will also help address MTA "fare beating − one of the most common complaints we receive from the public."

"Transit safety starts with addressing theft of service," Daughtry posted on X. "If you think you can steal a ride on the subway or bring a weapon into the system, think again! You WILL be arrested."

Previous subway attacks include man fatally shot with own gun, woman shoved in front of train

The killing Monday follows a pair of recent, high-profile incidents on the subway, each of which had unique circumstances involving the suspects and victims.

In one, an armed 36-year-old man got into a dispute on a train in Brooklyn with a 32-year-old man before being shot and killed with his own weapon after boarding on without paying for his ticket on March 14.

In the second, a domestic dispute left a 29-year-old woman severely injured and her 35-year-old partner charged with attempted murder. Christian Valdez, of Brooklyn, stands accused in the March 9 attack in which officials said his girlfriend lost both her feet. Valdez remained jailed without bond Wednesday, online records show, and was due in court April 11.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently addressed some of the violence during a media briefing.

"We have to deal with this small pocket of people that have made up their mind that they are going to hurt New Yorkers," Adams said in a video captured by WNBC-TV.

Contributing: Terry Collins

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.