Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – A man who was accused of pushing a woman to death in front of a subway train in New York City earlier this year has been sent to a secure psychiatric center. Prosecutors told a judge Tuesday that they will not contest a medical assessment which found him unfit for trial.

Martial Simon, aged 61, was arrested for second-degree murder following the killing of Michelle Go (40) at the Times Square subway stop on January 15.

New Yorkers felt uneasy about her death amid rising violent crime in the United States. This led to the announcement by the transit authority that it would be installing safety barriers at some stations.

According to Mitchell Schumann, Simon’s lawyer, Simon, two court-appointed psychiatrists ruled Simon not competent for trial after they examined him at Bellevue Hospital Center.

A brief hearing was held Tuesday by Manhattan district attorneys. They did not respond directly to Reuters’ questions.

His attack also brought fresh attention to the state’s poor mental health system, in particular for those who are homeless or poor. State lawmakers extended a law earlier this month that allows judges to order mental health treatment and confinement in a psychiatric facility if they, among other criteria are found to pose a threat to others.

Simon was the Manhattan garage manager from his 30s until he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He then became homeless and unemployed. Schumann explained that Simon was convicted in 2017 of attempting to rob taxi drivers. In 2019, he was freed on parole. A drug possession charge was also dismissed against Simon because he was not fit for trial.

Schumann stated, “It’s difficult to argue that he hasn’t been failed by the system and he’s not being treated on the streets,”

The police said that Schumann was harassing several commuters the day before and didn’t appear to have targeted Go because she was Asian American. Many Asian Americans have been shocked by the murder of Go, who was a Deloitte employee. They also reported an increase in racism across the nation.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, serious crimes are still rare in New York’s subway system. This is the biggest transit system worldwide with over 3 million rides per week. According to police data, felony crime rates are lower than in early 2020. This is before COVID-19 was introduced in New York.

Last week, that message was again tested when 10 victims were injured by a gunman who shot them in a subway car. Officials said it was the first major shooting in the subway for decades.