Who is Finn Barbuto? Man with mental illness stabbed two UPS workers in NYC subway, one has 22 stitches
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A mentally unstable 22-year-old man reportedly slashed two UPS workers in a Brooklyn-bound subway train in the early morning on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, following an unprovoked dispute. The man, identified as Finn Barbuto, slashed one worker in the hand and chest and another person in the wrist and forearm.
Both the UPS workers are 42-year-olds who displayed immense courage and presence of mind, as they held Barbuto till the police arrived to take him into custody. The two victims were later treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell where one received 22 stitches in their hand, elbow, and hip. The accused Barbuto has now been held on a $75,000 cash bond.
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How did the attack happen?
At 4.45 am on Tuesday, when the Brooklyn-bound train entered the Lexington Ave/59th St station, UPS workers Dan Baker and his colleague pulled into the station.
Reportedly, the victims claim that around this time Barbuto suddenly started yelling at the duo, without any prior provocation from them. As the argument escalated, Barbuto suddenly pulled out a four-inch folding knife and attacked the two delivery agents.
Immediately, one of them threw a coat over Barbuto and the other jumped on him to wrestle the knife away. They were both injured and bleeding but knew how to tackle the situation. The pair kept hold of Barbuto till police arrived at the scene and took him to custody.
When asked later why he launched the sudden attack, the 22-year-old reportedly revealed that he was on medication for mental illness. "I just had to handle the situation. I’ve got 22 stitches in my hand, my elbow and my hip. I didn’t realize I was stabbed until I was wrestling the knife away. I’m not a hero. I just had to handle the situation," Dan Baker, one of the victims, later told NY Daily News.
Charges against Finn Barbuto
The young man, who originally hails from Yonkers, has been charged with one count of second-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault and one count of weapon possession. He did not have any prior criminal record and notably suffers from serious mental illness, as his lawyer Sarah Kaufmann stated in the Manhattan Criminal Court.
Prosecutor Rachel Scorr successfully convinced Judge Eric Schumacher to issue a bond order of $75,000 on Barbuto. His mother was spotted leaving the court premises after his arraignment.
Meanwhile, New York Police Department has promised to amplify security in the subway following a spike in slashings and assault incidents of late.