AP New York

NY

Updated Tuesday, March 26, 2024-18:52

  • Technology The fiasco of the New York subway surveillance robot: "I said it was a garbage can with wheels, but the wheels don't even work"

A person was killed by a train after being pushed onto the tracks in the New York subway, in the latest in a series of violent events on the transit network that have forced authorities to

intensify their security measures

.

The victim, who has not been identified, was pushed onto the tracks at an

East Harlem station

shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, police said. The driver of the train, which was traveling on Route Number 4, could not stop in time and the person died.

The suspect,

Carlton McPherson, 24

, was arrested on murder charges, a police spokesman said. There is currently no information available on whether McPherson has an attorney.

The tragedy occurred the same day that New York authorities announced plans to

dispatch 800 more police officers

to the subway system to combat fare evasion. Although authorities consider payment evasion to be a problem due to lost income, they say it also contributes to creating an environment of illegality.

"The law and order environment begins at the entrance to the subway," the city's transit director,

Michael Kemper

, said at a news conference Monday .

Overall crime

is down 15%

on the train system this year compared to last, according to official figures, but several high-profile shootings and stabbings in recent months have scared passersby.

A few days ago the governor of New York state,

Kathy Hochul

, announced that she would dispatch the National Guard to check bags in subway stations.

Hours before Monday's news conference about the plan to send more police to the stations,

a man was stabbed several times

on one of the trains in a dispute over smoking, police said. A suspect was arrested.