By Olivia Scheck and Nicole Bode
DNAinfo Staff
TRIBECA — A woman who tried to stop a man from smoking on a downtown 3 train was was stabbed in the face with a pen during the Tuesday morning rush hour, police said.
An unidentified woman, believed to be 45 years old was taken to New York Hospital Downtown following the attack at roughly 9:15 a.m., police said. The woman had been inside a downtown 3 train as it pulled into the Chambers Street station when she was attacked, according to the MTA and police.
She was in stable condition, police said.
A witness and a police source said the attacker lashed out after the victim tried to stop him from lighting up a cigarette on the subway car while it was traveling between 14th Street and Chambers.
"He started pulling out his lighter, she was the only one who noticed it. She said 'don't do it, I don't want to smell it,' ... they were yelling and just pushing one another," said Ronethea Williams, 27, of Harlem, who was on the train during the attack.
"After he slashed her, blood was coming down the middle of her face. Blood was everywhere, to the point where you had to look away," Williams added, saying the victim continued to struggle with the man in an attempt to get the weapon out of his hand.
Eventually, several passengers subdued the attacker, who had a strange "blank look" on his face after the attack, Williams said. The slashing appeared to leave the woman with a gash from her from temple to her nose, she added.
Police said the attacker, who they identified as Caroberto Cordero, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. A police source said he was taken to the hospital after the attack, but it was unclear whether he was injured.
"I don't think she felt like what she was doing was a big deal — now you never know what's going to happen. It's crazy," Williams said.
Straphangers Tuesday were horrified to learn what had happened.
"It's disturbing that you can't a) count on people to follow the rules and b) respond like a decent human being when the rules are brought to their attention," said Alexandra B., 27, of N.J., as she headed into the Downtown 1 Station at 50th Street on her way home from work.
Lower East Sider Adam Spiegel, 25, was also disturbed by the incident.
"I think that's crazy, just the fact that anyone would stab anyone else in the face," Spiegel said.
Marcia W., 58, of Westchester, said, "You can't say anything to anybody, people are crazy."
She added that while she thought it was an unfortunate incident, "You gotta sniff people out, so you know who to approach and who not to approach."
