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In a Manhattan court on Wednesday, a man was sentenced to three years in prison for a brutal attack on a 60-year-old disabled woman. The incident, which took place at a subway station, involved the assailant striking the victim with a belt and cane more than 50 times.
Judge Julieta Lozano imposed the sentence on Norton Blake, a 43-year-old resident of the Bronx. In addition to the prison term, Blake has been ordered to maintain a distance from the victim for the next eight years, following the assault that was captured on camera on September 1, 2023.
According to prosecutors, Blake launched a vicious attack on Laurell Reynolds, repeatedly hitting her on the head, stomach, legs, arms, back, and hands with both a belt and cane. The assault occurred at the subway station located at West 116th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Borczyk, speaking during the sentencing, described the attack as causing “substantial pain” to the victim, who cried out during the ordeal.
Reynolds required two weeks of hospitalization following the assault and subsequently received care at a nursing facility. The violent incident was captured on video by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker, providing key evidence in the case.
Borczyk said that Blake, who attended court in a wheelchair, exhibited “genuine remorse” for what he did, and that he is not a predicate felon.
In turn, Blake’s defense attorney said he “admitted he went too far” and claimed that his client “did not recognize that this individual was a female.”
After his arrest, Blake claimed that he was trying to help Reynolds up the stairs at the subway station when she “fell down the stairs.”
He also alleged that Reynolds threw bags down the stairs at him, chucked a can of soup and took his cane, using it to try to hit him.
Blake has a record of 9 prior arrests.