NEW YORK (TCN) — A 61-year-old man will spend time behind bars for attacking a 57-year-old woman unprovoked with a hammer at a subway station before taking off with her bag.
Per a news release from the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, a judge sentenced William Blount on July 10 to 25 years to life in prison. A jury previously convicted Blount in April of two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of first-degree robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. He was acquitted of attempted murder charges.
According to prosecutors, on the night of Feb. 24, 2022, Blount approached Nina Rothschild as she was walking down the stairs to the Queens Plaza Subway station. The defendant reportedly had a black cane with him at the time and “kicked Rothschild down the stairs, struck her on the head 13 times with a hammer, and grabbed” her tote before fleeing.
Rothschild sustained multiple skull fractures and was transported to a hospital, where she required emergency surgery to remove parts of her skull and replace them with titanium mesh. Authorities noted that Rothschild also suffered a broken finger and other injuries.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage that reportedly revealed Blount holding the victim’s bag as he walked from the subway station toward a family member’s residence in Long Island City.
Officials arrested Blount on Feb. 27, 2022. The following day, police executed a search warrant at a home and found a hammer, a black cane, and Rothschild’s bag. According to the district attorney’s office, further testing showed that both the victim’s and the defendant’s DNA were on the hammer.
In a statement, Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “I thank the survivor for testifying during this trial and bravely facing her attacker in court. Our transit system must be safe for everyone, and this conviction sends a strong message that those who cause mayhem on our subways will be brought to justice.”
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