Story by Ethan
On June 26th, 2025, the arrest of Woki Massaquoi, age 35, was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.. Woki Massaquoi was charged with second-degree Aggravated Harassment and third-degree Assault as a Hate Crime. The arrest and charges against Woki Massaquoi were a result of an investigation handled by officers from the NYPD’s Transit District 4.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, in the morning of April 29th, 2025, both the victim and Woki Massaquoi boarded onto a northbound 4 train at the Grand Central 42nd Street Station. At approximately 7:50 a.m. as the train was traveling between the Lexington Avenue & 59th Street and the Lexington Avenue & 86th Street stations when Woki Massaquoi allegedly approached the victim and slapped her coffee out of her hands unprovoked. During the altercation the defendant was reportedly shouting antisemetic remarks summed up to calling the victim a, “white Jew b—”. Following the insults the defendant allegedly then punched the victim’s face on the left before pinning her to the ground of the train car. The alleged assault caused the victim to suffer from swelling and bruising. As the subway pulled into the Lexington Avenue & 86th Street station a bystander called 911 as the victim sought help from the conductor. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment as officers swiftly flagged down and arrested Woki Massaquoi.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Woki Massaquoi are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
