The Queens man charged with attempted murder in a vicious attack inside an Upper East Side subway station that critically injured a woman Sunday morning, is locked up on Rikers Island, held without bail. Prosecutors revealed disturbing new details of the violent crime as the victim’s husband spoke out about his wife’s life, which was forever changed.
“He got on the same subway as the victim in Queens. He also got off at the same subway stop at 63rd and Lex,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Carolyn McGuigan told a judge Tuesday during the arraignment of 39-year-old Kamal Semrade, describing Sunday morning’s horrific events.
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“As he was walking behind her, right next to the moving subway that rapidly leaving the station, he grabbed her head with both his hands and shoved her with all his force into the moving subway car,” McGuigan explained, “She hit the train in her face and head, rolled along it, then crashed back to the platform where she was instantly paralyzed.”
Prosecutors say the victim, Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy, suffered a spine fracture in her neck, broken fingers, a gash to her scalp and damage to four major blood vessels in the brutal, “completely unprovoked” attack on the southbound (E) train platform inside the 63rd Street-Lexington Avenue subway station on the Upper East Side.
“She is currently paralyzed from the neck down,” said ADA McGuigan, adding that the 35-year-old artist and Turkish immigrant from Jackson Heights “is currently in critical condition and still has a risk of stroke or death.”
It is not yet clear exactly where or when police captured the suspect. However, according to the criminal complaint, someone familiar with Semrade came forward to police, identifying the 39-year-old from the surveillance photos released by investigators hours after the brutal assault underground.
Prosecutors say Semrade had no known criminal record before his arrest for Sunday’s cruel attack. The motive for the depraved crime is still not clear.
“This is a tragic incident, and it shouldn’t have happened to anyone,” said Emine’s husband, Ferdi Oszoy, in a statement to reporters, “It has taken away an individual’s journey through life.”
Ferdi says he and his wife came to New York City in 2017, describing Emine as an award-winning artist, illustrator and painter who took a part-time job to help put down roots in the community.
“Emine wanted to focus on her art and have a part-time job on the side to allow her to live comfortably,” Oszoy continued, “She wanted to build a community in NYC, where she could recognize local people’s faces, so she started working at a cafe.”
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On Sunday morning, Emine was on her way to work at the cafe, which was not named, when she was callously attacked. Her husband says her coworkers started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of medical expenses, which have already topped six figures.
The online fundraiser had reached just 10% of its $500,000 goal as of Wednesday morning.
“Her mobility is expected to be affected, greatly impacting her daily life. But, of course, faith and hope are never-ending,” Emine’s husband explained.
“She’s a warrior.”
