Man charged with murder after pushing Asian woman in front of Times Square subway train

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Police have charged a homeless man after he allegedly pushed a 40-year-old Asian woman to her death in front of a subway train in Times Square on Saturday morning.

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Simon Martial, 61, faces a murder charge for the killing of Michelle Alyssa Go.

Martial yelled at reporters who asked if he was involved in the incident as he was escorted out of the Midtown South precinct, "Yes, I did. I’m God, I can do it."

Police said it happened at 9:39 a.m. Saturday, where Go was waiting for a southbound Q train at the Times Square-42nd Street station. Officers responded to the scene to find her under the train, where she was pronounced dead.

According to police, the incident was unprovoked, and the suspect and victim didn't appear to have any interaction with each other.

Officials said while the circumstances of the crime were still under investigation, it was known to officers that the same suspect had bothered and "alarmed" another woman who was not Asian minutes earlier.

Martial turned himself in to police less than a half hour after the crime, police said.

Officials said he was "known to the department," and had three emotionally disturbed encounters with cops.

Mayor Eric Adams and MTA officials underscored the importance of committing to mental health resources and safety within the subway system during a press conference in Times Square. Adams said cops were doing an "amazing" job at keeping subways safe, and that they were preventing many other crimes from happening that aren't known because they did not happen.

The death comes more than a week after the mayor and governor announced plans to boost subway policing and outreach to homeless people in the streets and trains.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “horrified by the tragedy at Times Square” in a tweet.

Hours after Saturday morning's incident, a 30-year-old man was stabbed in the buttocks at the Grand Subway station. He is expected to recover, but the suspect remains at-large.

Subway conditions and safety have become a worry for many New Yorkers during the pandemic. Although police department statistics show major felonies on trains and busses have dropped over the past two years, so has ridership, making it difficult to compare.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images