Woman charged in apparent violent, racist tirade on New York City subway

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Woman charged in apparent violent, racist tirade on D train
Kemberly Richardson reports on the apparent violent and racist tirade on the D train.

SUNSET PARK, Brooklyn -- A Brooklyn woman is under arrest after allegedly unleashing a violent, racist tirade on another straphanger onboard a D train.

It happened Tuesday around 8:30 a.m. on a northbound D train near 9th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn.

Police said 40-year-old Anna Lushchinskaya, of Sheepshead Bay, faces felony assault charges after she yelled profanities at a 24-year-old Asian woman and struck her with an umbrella handle and keys.

Videos on social media from the incident show what appears to be Lushchinskaya making racist slurs at both the victim and a good Samaritan who intervened, but police have not charged the suspect for bias crimes.

WARNING: The videos below contain strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

"I'm lucky that she didn't have anything like weapons on her -- like knife, gun -- because it could have got a lot worse," the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Eyewitness News exclusively. "I'm lucky that people were on the train who were helping me, especially the first Asian guy who stood in front of me right away because he wasn't recording. He just stood in front of me to help me, because I know other people were recording, but their recording didn't do anything until later on when it escalated."

The victim suffered lacerations to her face. The good Samaritan who intervened also suffered scratches.

The dispute began after the suspect bumped into the victim, police said.

Lushchinskaya was immediately apprehended at 36th Street and placed under arrest.

A criminal complaint from June shows that Lushchinskaya was charged in June in connection with another D train scuffle. According to the complaint, Lushchinskaya allegedly pepper-sprayed a man on the train at the 36th Street station.

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