Violent Parolee Arrested After Subway Attack On Elderly Woman

A repeat criminal on parole pushed an elderly woman onto the subway tracks at the Midtown station on Saturday, police and witnesses said.

Zaki Smith, a 36-year-old parolee with 14 prior arrests, was taken into custody by police during the Monday morning rush. His arrest was in relation to the attack, which took place before 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to The New York Post.

The attack occurred at the subway station on 57th and 7th in Midtown, according to ABC 7 NY — and police said that the 70-year-old woman was pushed from behind onto the tracks by Smith.

Bystanders who witnessed the attack helped to pull the woman back up onto the platform. The elderly woman suffered a laceration to her head but was reportedly in stable condition when she was taken to the Weill Cornell Medical Center to be treated for her injuries.

Smith was charged with felony and misdemeanor assault for what appeared to be an unprovoked attack.

In March 2022, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, and in June 2022, was sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting a corrections officer, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s office.

Records show the parolee was supposed to be on supervised release until 2030. His criminal history includes the robbery of an MTA worker in May 2025, when he was arrested in possession of stolen FDNY work phones, according to a source.

His most recent prior arrest was on June 16, 2026, for allegedly stealing cleaning supplies from a Flatiron building. Several reports stated that he’d accessed the building using a service elevator.

Smith’s arraignment for the subway attack is still pending in Manhattan Criminal Court, the Post reported on Tuesday.