By Bill Parry
A Corona man was charged with attempted murder last Friday for allegedly pushing a teenage girl onto the tracks of the subway as a No. 7 train rolled into the 103rd Street Corona Plaza station March 5, according to the Queens district attorney.
George Pautt, 38, was caught on surveillance cameras rushing out of the station after witnesses saw him push 15-year-old Xinyi Huang from behind, according to the criminal complaint. The victim rolled off the track bed as the train entered the station, according to the criminal report.
“The defendant is accused of doing what subway commuters fear the most—having somebody suddenly shove them onto the tracks as a train rolls into the station,” Queens DA Richard Brown said. “The young victim in this case managed to survive by squeezing herself between the platform and the wheels of the train. She will likely be terrorized by the memory of this senseless attack for the rest of her life.”
The teenager had to be rescued by the FDNY and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she was treated for bruising and cuts to her wrists, ankles and ribs
Pautt, a resident of 42nd Avenue in Corona, was arraigned last Friday on charges of second-degree attempted murder, the DA said. If convicted he faces up to 25 years in prison.
“The defendant, if found guilty, must be punished for this heinous act and locked away from society for a very long time,” Brown said.
Pautt’s next court appearance was scheduled for April 1.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
