A man with a staggering 87 prior arrests was taken into custody early Sunday in connection with two violent subway stabbings. The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Jamar Banks, was found carrying the “large knife” believed to have been used in the attacks.

Banks, whose criminal history includes a long list of offenses and a background of mental illness, was apprehended by the NYPD Warrant Squad at the 219th Street station in The Bronx just after midnight. He was subsequently transported to the NYPD Transit Bureau District 2 in Manhattan.

The weapon, described by officers as a large blade, matched the description of the knife used in two recent subway assaults.

Banks’ most recent encounters with law enforcement occurred in November, when he was twice arrested for petty theft and released with summonses. Now, he faces more serious charges, including first-degree assault and third-degree weapons possession, in connection with the latest string of transit stabbings.

On Sunday afternoon, Banks appeared disheveled and visibly unkempt as officers escorted him in handcuffs from the transit district. His torn white jeans sagged, exposing red underwear beneath, as he shuffled toward a waiting police vehicle. He remained silent when questioned by reporters, seemingly dazed and overwhelmed by the media attention.

As Banks was led away, a bystander shouted, “You’re disgusting!” – reflecting the public’s frustration over the recurring violence in the city’s transit system.

According to law enforcement alerts prior to his arrest, Banks was frequently spotted on the No. 2 and No. 5 subway lines, prompting officers to exercise “extreme caution” when approaching him due to the possibility he was armed.

Banks is accused of stabbing a 31-year-old man on a No. 2 train at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan last Wednesday, following an argument. A second attack allegedly took place the following morning when Banks reportedly confronted and stabbed an off-duty MTA cleaner on the No. 6 train platform at Pelham Bay station. The cleaner sustained wounds to the back and armpit.

Both victims survived and were hospitalized in stable condition.

Banks’ extensive rap sheet includes previous arrests for attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, criminal trespassing, fare evasion, and petty larceny, raising renewed concerns about repeat offenders and the safety of New York’s subway system.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)