A kind-hearted individual shared his encounter with a belligerent drunkard brandishing a box cutter on a subway train in Manhattan. He recounted how he stood his ground and firmly demanded the perpetrator to exit the train immediately.
Jose Ceron, 50, intervened when a clearly drunk stranger threatened a group of women on the No. 1 train around 2 p.m. Saturday, triggering the suspect, who allegedly yelled “I cut you now,” according to The Post.
Diego Morales, a 37-year-old man with a history of 16 prior arrests, was engaged in a heated argument with the woman when he aggressively grabbed her by the hair, according to Ceron.
“I told him, ‘There’s no need for that. You don’t have to do it,'” Ceron recalled their tense conversation in Spanish. “Afterward, I returned to my seat.”
Before boarding the train, he observed Morales displaying a disruptive and confrontational behavior, causing a disturbance to himself, at the 13th Street-City College station platform.
“I didn’t pay much attention to it,” he explained. “But then, as I boarded the train, I noticed him sitting in front of me. There was a group of girls on his left, and he started shouting something. Out of nowhere, he suddenly reached out and forcefully grabbed one of the girl’s hair.”
Ceron stated that he took immediate action to remove the intoxicated suspect from the train following the altercation.
“I instructed everyone to clear the area near the door,” he recounted. “As soon as the train arrived at the station, I swiftly pulled him out, causing him to stumble and fall headfirst. I kept him restrained until the police arrived, which took approximately one minute.”
Morales, according to law enforcement sources, was apprehended at the 103rd Street station and slapped with charges of menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. Following the altercation, he was also taken to the hospital due to a facial injury sustained when his face struck the floor.
According to Ceron, the suspect had a bottle of inexpensive bourbon in his possession.
According to Ceron, the individual in question appeared to be completely oblivious to his own actions. It was evident that he was intoxicated, as he was inebriated and even had an alcohol bottle in his possession. Subsequently, he began to physically engage with others, which ultimately led to his involvement in a troublesome situation.
According to sources, the serial lawbreaker had a history of previous offenses, including criminal possession of a weapon, menacing a police officer, and criminal trespass.
In November 2022, it was reported that Morales had been engaging in harassment towards individuals on the street. According to sources, he specifically targeted one man who bravely stood up to him, telling him to back off and keep his distance.
According to sources, he was arrested in 2019 for allegedly trying to hit a police officer with a metal wrench. The incident occurred after the officer removed him from a Manhattan subway station due to his disorderly behavior.
According to sources, he was arrested in 2018 for stealing from a store on the Upper West Side.
According to sources, in 2017, he reportedly became jealous when a woman was talking to her friends and planning to hang out, and allegedly snatched her phone out of her hand.
According to the sources, he was also arrested in 2016 for possessing a knife.
Ceron assured that the recent altercation on the subway hasn’t instilled fear in him towards the transit system.
“I’ve been riding the subways for years,” he exclaimed, emphasizing his long-standing experience as a New York City resident. With fifty years under his belt, he confidently claimed that nothing truly catches him off guard anymore.
