Man accused of fatally beating rider in Brooklyn station had at least 15 prior arrests

Suspect arrested after man beaten to death in busy Brooklyn subway station

Police say a man was brutally beaten to death inside a busy Brooklyn subway station in broad daylight, as horrified commuters looked on. A suspect was arrested hours later in Times Square thanks to citywide alerts sent to officers’ phones. FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley has the latest.

BROOKLYN - A Bronx man accused of fatally beating a 64-year-old straphanger inside a Brooklyn subway station is now under arrest, the NYPD confirmed Tuesday night.

What we know:

Police say 25-year-old David Mazariegos faces two counts of murder, robbery, and grand larceny after allegedly attacking Nicola Tanzi, 64, at the Jay Street–MetroTech subway station in Downtown Brooklyn.

The backstory:

The assault happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday at Willoughby and Bridge Streets, according to police. Officers responding to 911 calls found Tanzi unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to his body. 

He was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.

Sources told the New York Post that Mazariegos pummeled Tanzi’s face repeatedly and stomped on his head up to 15 times in what police described as an unprovoked attack.

Dig deeper:

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the entire NYPD received an emergency phone alert shortly after the assault, which included a picture of the suspect. Officers near Times Square later recognized Mazariegos and took him into custody.

Sources tell FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley that Mazariegos was allegedly carrying a samurai sword and the victim’s credit cards when he was arrested.

Suspect had at least 15 priors

Investigators say Mazariegos confessed to the killing after being taken into custody. He reportedly has a long criminal record, with at least 15 prior arrests, including a felony in July.

He is expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Local perspective:

The deadly encounter has left subway riders shaken. "I saw a lot of police officers around—more than usual," one commuter told FOX 5. "Then I realized someone was killed. That’s insane."

Another rider added, "It’s so dangerous. Terrible. Bad."

In a post on X, NYPD News confirmed Mazariegos’ arrest, writing: "The individual wanted in connection with this homicide is now in custody. Thank you to our cops and detectives who worked tirelessly to track and arrest this suspect."