Queens DA Indicts Bronx Man for Subway Stabbing
Jyrell Thomas faces murder and weapons charges for killing Mesias Lojano on a J train in Woodhaven in September.
By Elena Greco ·
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Tuesday, Nov. 10, that a grand jury has indicted 25-year-old Jyrell Thomas on murder and weapons possession charges. Thomas, a resident of the Melrose section of the South Bronx, stands accused of fatally stabbing 59-year-old Mesias Lojano on a subway train. The victim, a construction worker and father of four, died from injuries sustained during an evening commute in Woodhaven.
The indictment details that Thomas boarded a Queens-bound J train at the Broadway Junction station in Brooklyn at approximately 5 p.m. on Sept. 30. As the train approached the elevated platform near Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue at around 5:15 p.m., Thomas allegedly screamed and produced a knife. He targeted Lojano, with whom he had no prior relationship, and began stabbing the man repeatedly in the crowded car.
According to court documents, Thomas’s first knife broke into two pieces during the attack. He then pulled a second knife from his sleeve, chased Lojano across the subway car, and continued to stab him. When the train doors opened at Woodhaven Boulevard, Thomas ran and dropped his weapon. Fellow passengers pursued him, cornering him blocks from the station where police from the 102nd Precinct found him atop a detached garage roof.
Officers recovered two kitchen knives at the scene. One broken knife remained in the subway car, while the second, which had blood on the blade, was allegedly dropped by Thomas as he fled down the station stairs onto Jamaica Avenue. Emergency medical services transported Lojano to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Although initially listed in stable condition, he later succumbed to stab wounds to his chest, neck, lip, and back.
Thomas was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on Tuesday. Justice Michael Yavinsky remanded him to custody without bail and scheduled his next appearance for Jan. 26, 2027. If convicted of murder, Thomas faces a sentence of up to 25 years to life in prison.
Katz stated that the defendant was indicted for taking the life of a hard-working father and grandfather who was simply trying to get home from work. She added that commuters deserve to use transit without fear and that the office will aggressively prosecute those who cause harm in the subways. The DA noted that the district’s thoughts remain with the Lojano family as it seeks justice.
