December 28, 2025 QUEENS, NY — What was supposed to be a quiet Sunday morning in Astoria shattered into violence today as a young man became the latest victim of a random, stomach-turning assault on one of the neighborhood's busiest corridors.
At approximately 3:50 a.m., while most of the city slept, a 22-year-old man was sitting outside near 30-04 Steinway Street. In a terrifying instant, his peace was replaced by a nightmare. Police say an unidentified assailant materialized from the shadows, approached the unsuspecting victim, and without saying a word, brandished a razor-sharp object.
A Walk-By Nightmare
The attacker didn’t want money. He didn’t want an argument. He wanted blood.
With a single, jagged motion, the suspect slashed the young man across the left side of his face. The force of the blow left the victim bleeding profusely on the pavement as the perpetrator vanished into the night, fleeing on foot toward an unknown location.
The Aftermath
Emergency sirens soon pierced the early morning air. First responders rushed the victim to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. While the physical scars will be permanent, medical staff have listed him in stable condition.
As of this morning, the sidewalk outside the 114th Precinct is a crime scene, not a storefront. Investigators are scouring the area for surveillance footage, desperate to catch a glimpse of the phantom slasher who remains at large.
