Maniac with 20 prior arrests busted in random attack on L.A. grandma, 70, in NYC subway station: sources
A maniac with 20 prior arrests – including hate crime attacks on two women – was busted for randomly shoving a 70-year-old Los Angeles grandma against the wall of a Midtown subway station this week, according to police sources and the victim.
Sherlock Arana, 37, of the Bronx, allegedly attacked Janet Parvizyar, 70, inside the Lexington Ave/53rd Street station around 10:30 a.m. Monday as the unsuspecting L.A. native enjoyed the second-to-last day of her trip to the Big Apple, where she was visiting a friend.
'I don't understand, why did they let them go like this?' Parvizyar told The Post of the career criminal in an exclusive phone interview. 'I mean, they have to do something about this. He's going to kill somebody.'
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5 Sherlock Arana, 37, of the Bronx, allegedly shoved Janet Parvizyar, 70, into a wall inside the Lexington Ave/53rd Street station Monday morning, cops said.
Arana is no stranger to crime on the rails – nearly a decade ago, he pleaded guilty to assaulting two women inside separate Queens subway stations because he thought they were of Indian descent, prosecutors said. At least one was actually Bangladeshi.
'I hate Indian people,' he allegedly seethed at one of the women, who he approached near the entrance to the Jamaica-179th Street station on January 5, 2017, before punching her in the back of the head, according to a criminal complaint. 'Get the f–k out of here.'
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He was sentenced to nine months behind bars on a third-degree hate crime assault charge, prosecutors said. It was not immediately clear how much time he actually served.
5 'What are you doing here?' Arana allegedly seethed, according to the victim.
Robert Miller
The most recent of Arana's nearly two dozen prior busts was in 2023 for a robbery, law enforcement sources said.
In this week's attack, Parvizyar was walking in the underground pathway leading to the No. 6 train station when Arana allegedly shoved her into a wall, causing her to hit her head and fall to the ground, cops said.
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'I was going to get the train and suddenly someone came to me and told me, 'What are you doing here?'' Parvizyar said. 'And he pushed me to the window, and after that the floor, without any reason, anything. And then he started running.'
5 Arana has 20 prior arrests, law enforcement sources said.
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The senseless attack left Parvizyar 'shocked,' she said.
'I couldn't think. I got confused,' she said. 'I don't know, I was very confused. I didn't expect something like that.'
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'It happened suddenly. I didn't see his face,' the startled victim added. 'But my friend saw his face. She started screaming, asking for help.'
Other good Samaritans in the station tried to step in, but it was too late – Arana fled the scene.
5 Arana was busted when cops recognized him from a 'Wanted' flyer, sources said.
Robert Miller
Meanwhile, the mom of three and grandmother also of three was taken to NYU Langone Medical Center for injuries to her head and neck.
Parvizyar is Iranian, but once she learned of Arana's criminal history, speculated that he may have mistaken her for an Indian woman.
Eagle-eyed cops spotted Arana around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday inside the Lexington Avenue-125th Street subway station – recognizing him from a Wanted flyer – as they conducted a station inspection, sources said.
5 Arana was arrested back in 2017 for allegedly assaulting two women who he believed to be Indian inside Queens subway stations.
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The arresting cops also found a knife in Arana's possession, according to the sources.
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He was charged with assault and harassment, both in the second degree, cops said.
'I'm so happy because I don't want that to happen to somebody else,' Parvizyar said of the arrest. 'I don't want anybody else to go through that.'
Parvizyar, who is now back home in Los Angeles, said she had visited the Big Apple 'many times' before – but now is reluctant to return and ride the rails.
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'I'm more scared, because [he did it] for no reason, anything!' Parvizyar said. 'Nothing happened. I don't know, suddenly somebody comes to you, says, 'What are you doing here?' and pushed me. It's something unusual. You don't see it in Los Angeles. I don't know!'
'It's scary, really scary, when you don't expect something like this to happen to you.'
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