Woman Jailed For 24 Years For Fatal Subway Push

A woman has been jailed for 24 years after she pushed a man into the path of an oncoming New York subway train in a religiously motivated attack.

Erika Menendez, 33, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree manslaughter over the death of 46-year-old Sunnando Sen on 27 December, 2012, at the 40th Street-Lowery Street station in Sunnyside, Queens.

Prosecutors said Menendez was seen pacing the subway platform and muttering to herself in the moments leading up to the attack.

She told investigators she pushed Mr Sen on to the tracks because "I hate Hindus and Muslims".

According to the criminal complaint, she said: "Ever since 2001 when they put down the Twin Towers I've been beating them up."

Mr Sen, who had his back to Menendez as he waited for a train, was shoved on to the tracks and died from blunt force trauma after he was struck by the train.

Judge Gregory Lasak said Mr Sen's death had affected the millions of people who commute in New York City to work.

He said: "You picked out Mr Sen, who was on that platform and you stood behind him and you followed him. This was a particularly brutal homicide.

"I can only imagine his final thoughts. That's a horrible, horrible way to die.

"Millions of people take the trains every day in New York City to go to work or to go to school or other destinations, and they want to feel safe. And this put a chilling effect on all the ridership."

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown described the killing as "every subway commuter's worst nightmare".

Prosecutors accepted Menendez's plea of manslaughter because of her "substantial psychiatric history and drug problems", The New York Times reported.

Mr Sen, who was originally from Kolkata, India, co-owned a printing shop in Washington Heights, the New York Post reported.