83-Year-Old Veteran Tragically Dies After Subway Incident; Suspect Charged with Murder

An 83-year-old veteran has succumbed to injuries after reportedly being pushed onto New York City’s subway tracks by an undocumented immigrant with an extensive criminal record, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

Richard Williams, a retired pilot from the Air Force, passed away on March 17. This tragic event followed an incident at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street Station where he and another individual were allegedly forced onto the tracks a few days earlier.

The suspect, Bairon Posada-Hernandez, a 34-year-old from Honduras, was taken into custody on March 10 and is now facing charges of murder.

Accused of shoving both Richard Williams and another man onto the tracks, Posada-Hernandez’s actions led to Williams’ untimely death from the injuries he sustained. This case has drawn considerable attention due to the suspect’s immigration status.

John Pena, 30, who was also reportedly pushed onto the tracks, played a heroic role in rescuing Williams by pulling him back onto the platform just before a train arrived, according to a report from the New York Post.

After the attack, Williams was taken to a hospital, where doctors said he suffered a brain bleed and underwent surgery. He had no brain activity after the procedure, doctors said. 

Williams’ death has been ruled a homicide. 

“I want him to go to the Venezuela prison, the worst place he could go to,” his daughter, Debbie Williams, previously told the newspaper. “I want him to suffer for the rest of his life. Prison justice would be appropriate.”

She said her father had recently won a five-year battle with prostate cancer six months ago. 

Hernandez’s public defender, Mitchell Schuman, declined ot comment on the charges against his client. 

“We have yet to see the indictment, concluded our investigation or reviewed the expected voluminous discovery materials,” he said. 

Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34, was arrested March 10 and faces a murder charge.  (NYPD)

Posada-Hernandez, whom the Department of Homeland Security called a “serial criminal,” has been deported from the United States four times, the agency said. 

“Bairon Posada-Hernandez is a serial criminal and four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. 

Federal authorities are asking New York not to release Posada-Hernandez back onto the streets. New York has adopted sanctuary policies limiting cooperation between local and federal authorities. 

U.S. Immigration and Custioms Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Posada-Hernandez. Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office and the New York Public Defenders office. 

Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34, was arrested March 10 and faces a murder charge.  (WNYW)

Posada-Hernandez’s criminal history includes 15 prior charges, including simple assault, domestic violence, obstruction of police, possession of a weapon, drug possession and aggravated assault. 

He first entered the country Jan. 2, 2008, and has been deported four different times, most recently in 2020. It was unclear when he reentered the U.S. for a fifth time, DHS said. 

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