NATION : Woman Killed by 8-Time Mugger
A woman was killed when a man who had been arrested eight previous times for subway muggings grabbed her purse containing $1 and shoved her between the cars of a moving train, authorities said.
Grace Cheng, 31, died late Tuesday, about 12 hours after the attack on a subway platform at 96th Street and Central Park West, said Transit Authority spokesman Al O’Leary.
Police said Brian Lawrence, 30, of Irvington, N.J., grabbed Cheng’s purse and ran off the train at the station. Cheng gave chase and was pushed between the subway cars during a struggle with Lawrence, police said.
Cheng, whose left leg was nearly severed by the train, died during emergency surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital, said Judy Murphy, a hospital spokeswoman.
Lawrence was arrested by two Transit Authority police officers who saw him running from the subway station.
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