Murder As Hate Crime Charges in NYC Subway Pushing Death: "I Hate Hindus and Muslims," Says Defendant Erika Menendez

A woman has been charged with murder as a hate crime after pushing an Indian immigrant to his death on subway tracks in Queens Thursday night.

Prosecutors are charging Erika Menendez, a 31-year-old from the Bronx, with second-degree murder.

According to Richard Brown, the Queens district attorney, Menendez pushed Sunando Sen, a 46-year-old Indian immigrant who ran a print shop, because she hated Hindus and Muslims.

"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims. Ever since 2001 when they put down the Twin Towers I've been beating them up," said Menendez, according to Brown.

Menendez's statement conflates the two different religions. The 9/11 hijackers were followers of fundamentalist Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion from the Middle East like Judaism or Christianity.

Hinduism is polytheistic and has roots in India and Southeast Asia.

Menendez was identified by a passerby after police released a grainy security video showing the suspect fleeing after the attack at the subway station. The video showed a heavyset Latina woman, perhaps in in her early 20s, about 5-foot-5, running away from the station.

Police say witnesses saw Menendez pacing and muttering to herself before she pushed Sen, who seemed to be unaware of her before he tumbled onto the tracks and was hit by the 7 train at 40th Street-Lowery St., just six stops from Grand Central Station.

Brown said he has no information on Menendez's mental state or whether she is fit to stand trial, a decision the courts will need to make.

"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter's worst nightmare -- being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train," said Brown.

"The victim was allegedly shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself. Beyond that, the hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions can never be tolerated by a civilized society."

This is the second subway pushing death in New York City this month.

In early December, Naeem Davis allegedly pushed Ki-Suck Han onto subway tracks in Times Square after an altercation between the two men. In that attack, Han's death seems to have been an accident. Reports say Han was drunk when he was pushed and tumbled backward onto the tracks, though details haven't been confirmed.