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'I am God': Homeless man admits to killing Asian woman at Times Square subway station

Simon Martial allegedly pushed an Asian woman in front of an oncoming subway train to her death in Times square

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: In a horrifying incident, a homeless man allegedly pushed an Asian woman in front of an oncoming subway train to her death in Times square. The episode unfolded on Saturday morning, January 15, about nine minutes after the deranged man was caught on video on the platform at the Times Square station at West 42nd Street and Broadway.

Talking about the incident, police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press briefing that 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go was shoved onto the Q train while she was waiting on the southbound platform. “This incident was unprovoked and the victim does not appear to have any interaction with the subject,” Sewell said.

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The suspected reportedly approached another woman first, but she became alarmed and moved away, Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox of the NYPD Detective Bureau said. “She feels that he was about to physically push her onto the train,” he said. “As she’s walking away she witnesses the crime where he pushes our other victim in front of the train.”

The suspect was identified as Simon Martial, 61. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police said. Law enforcement sources said that Martial has no known address and is homeless. “He is crazy, talking gibberish,” said a law enforcement source. The NYPD said that although the incident was not being officially investigated as a hate crime, the hate crimes task force was reviewing it.

Who is Simon Martial?

Marital has at least three arrests dating back to 1998 when he was held for robbery. In October 2019, he was busted for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was released in August 2021 after serving two years in state prison for attempted robbery.

Marital allegedly entered a man’s car on Sixth Avenue and Waverly Place in 2017. Simulating he had a gun, he allegedly said, "I have a gun. Give me your cash!” The driver subsequently fled. 

Josette, a woman who identified herself as Marital's sister, said that he has a history of mental illness. “He’s been on medication for over 20 years and in and out of mental hospitals in New York,” the woman said. 

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who had seen Marital on a subway at times, said that he has seen him ranting. “He will have a conversation and then all of a sudden he will have a psychotic disorder,” Sliwa said. “Again, an Asian gets pushed in front of a train. How many times does this have to happen? Asians are being attacked every which way.”

In another incident last year, surveillance footage has captured the moment a woman pushed a fellow commuter into a train at the Times Square subway station on October 4. The unprovoked attack saw the female victim being shoved off the platform and onto the incoming train as it approached the station. The 42-year-old victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in stable condition after sustaining facial injuries during the attack. The suspect, who apparently timed her attack, was caught on camera sitting on a bench before standing up and initiating her push as the train came into view around 8.15 am. While she fled the scene, witnesses said the attack was a stark reminder for commuters to be aware of their surroundings.

Addressing the latest incident involving Marital, PBA President Patrick Lynch said it “underscores our current crisis". “The city should absolutely provide help and services — real services — for those who need it. But those who are a danger to themselves and others cannot be allowed to remain in the subways and on the streets. We know there are common-sense solutions on the table — we need to get them up and running ASAP,” Lynch said.