QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man is going to be spending more than two decades behind bars for beating a woman with a hammer in a Queens subway station three years ago, authorities said.
William Blount, 61, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for attacking the 57-year-old woman in the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in February 2022, prosecutors said.
Blount was convicted of assault, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial. He was acquitted of attempted murder charges.
Blount kicked the victim, Nina Rothschild, down the stairs and hit her in the head with a hammer 13 times before running off with her tote bag, according to court records. The attack was caught on surveillance video.
Rothschild, who was on her way home from work as a researcher for city hospitals, suffered multiple skull fractures that required surgery and a broken finger.
“Most people would give him their bags. Why on earth did you come up behind me, fracture my skull multiple times with a hammer, what did I ever do to you?” Rothschild said.
Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence given the defendant’s prior arrests for kidnapping and attempted robbery. The judge told the victim it was a miracle she survived before handing down the sentence.
Blount’s attorney said he is appealing the sentencing.
“This was an unprovoked attack that caught the attention of the country… I thank the survivor for testifying during this trial and bravely facing her attacker in court. Our transit system must be safe for everyone, and this conviction sends a strong message that those who cause mayhem on our subways will be brought to justice,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.
