A man with a troubled past, including a history of mental illness and a lengthy criminal record, has been arrested for allegedly shoving a straphanger to his death in front of an oncoming train at the East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue station in East Harlem. The accused, identified as 24-year-old Carlton McPherson from the Bronx, had an open warrant for his arrest in a Brooklyn assault case at the time of the incident.
Law enforcement sources have revealed that McPherson’s recent encounters with the law include an arrest in January for allegedly spitting on a woman on an L train, although the outcome of that case remains sealed. He was also arrested in November for jumping a turnstile at a Brooklyn subway station. In another incident on Halloween, McPherson allegedly assaulted a man with a cane after the victim attempted to calm his erratic behavior. He was initially released without bail but violated the terms of his supervised release, leading to a bench warrant being issued.
McPherson’s troubled history extends beyond his criminal record. Police have responded to at least two incidents involving him as an emotionally disturbed person in the past two years. Last year, he ran past security at Yankee Stadium, claiming he wanted to watch a game that wasn’t taking place. In another incident, he became irate and threw his clothing down an incinerator when his grandmother asked him to do something with them. McPherson, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was off his medication during this incident.
The accused also has a history of theft and burglary, including an arrest for rifling through items in an office at the Aqueduct Racetrack. He allegedly jumped from the roof, injuring his leg in the process. In September, he flashed an imitation gun in an elevator at a Brooklyn Macy’s, causing alarm to another person present. He also snatched $100 from a cash register in Bedford-Stuyvesant and was caught shoplifting from the Kings Plaza Shopping Center.
McPherson’s most recent arrest on Monday resulted in a murder charge for the fatal subway shove. The victim’s identity has not been released pending family notification. McPherson’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court is pending.
