NYC gunman held on $1M bail after allegedly shooting innocent bystander on UES subway car
A Manhattan judge Monday ordered a man held on $1 million bail for allegedly opening fire on a crowded Upper East Side subway car, striking an innocent bystander.
Steven Sylvester, 34, faces an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting at a 35-year-old good Samaritan that had tried to break up a fight between the suspect and his girlfriend on a northbound 4 train as it approached 86th St. at 2:30 a.m. on June 2nd, officials said.
But Sylvester, who carried a loaded firearm onto the train, missed the good Samaritan.
The bullet instead bounced off the train door and hit the hand of another man, a 32-year-old innocent bystander, who had happened to enter the car at that time, prosecutors said.
The bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand and graze wounds to the torso, court papers say.
Sylvester fled the scene and was arrested by officers on June 6 in the 19th Precinct.
A search of his apartment uncovered clothing and accessories Sylvester wore on the night of the shooting.
Sylvester has been held on Rikers Island after he was unable to make his initial bail of $100,000 cash, or $250,000 bond.
At a hearing Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Justice Laura A. Ward raised the bail amount to $1 million dollar cash or $2 million bond at prosecutors’ request.
“This alleged conduct is very serious and put fellow subway riders at risk of being injured,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“We will continue holding people accountable who misuse our transit system as a hub for dangerous weapons and violence and I wish the victim a speedy recovery.”
Sylvester is charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree attempted assault, one count of second-degree assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count.
Attempts to reach Sylvester’s attorney, Michael J. Croce, on Monday were unsuccessful.
Sylvester is due back in court on September 3.