Suspect who stabbed MTA conductor in court as transit workers demand action

NEW YORK - Transit workers packed a Manhattan Courtroom on Friday as the suspect in the stabbing of MTA conductor Myron Pollack faced arraignment.

Pollack, 64, was just three months from retirement when he was attacked at the Utica Avenue Station in Crown Heights. 

Police say the suspect, 27-year-old Jonathan Davalos, has a history of violent offenses and has been charged with second-degree attempted murder.

RELATED: MTA train conductor stabbed multiple times in Brooklyn subway: NYPD

Pollack, who has served the MTA for more than 25 years, is currently recovering at Kings County Hospital after being stabbed multiple times in the chest, stomach, and leg. The attack occurred after Pollack asked Davalos to exit the train at its final stop. 

On Friday, Pollack’s fellow transit workers demanded policy changes, saying they are fearful for their own safety.

"We are so thankful that Mr. Pollack’s will to live was greater than this felon’s will to kill him. Because, I think we should be clear that his intent was to murder him," said Kathryn Falasca, an MTA criminal justice advocate.

Davalos has a history of violence, with 14 prior arrests, including slashing a woman’s shoulder in 2021 and punching another MTA conductor in 2020. Despite these offenses, Davalos was on parole through 2028 at the time of the attack.

Now, transit union leaders and workers are demanding increased security measures from the MTA. 

"We need police officers, we need MTA police at these locations where these trains need to be cleaned out," said Canella Gomez, Vice President of the Rapid Transit Operations (RTO).