Wife mourns man stabbed to death in fight over seat on Brooklyn MTA shuttle bus
A man stabbed to death on an MTA shuttle bus in Brooklyn was attacked during a clash over a seat, police sources said Monday.
Alvin Francis, 41, a father of three sons, was fatally stabbed in the abdomen on a J90 shuttle bus near Crescent and Etna Sts. in Cypress Hills just before 2 p.m. Sunday, cops said.
Francis and his killer got into an argument over a seat, police sources said.
'(Cops) just said he got into a tussle on the bus,' the victim's wife, Candice Todman-Francis, 36, told the Daily News. 'It's under investigation. I have not one detail. I'm just as lost as everybody else.'
A source with knowledge of the investigation who has seen surveillance video from inside the bus says it shows the stabber — a black man wearing a light gray hoodie, blue hat and a backpack — getting on the bus via a rear door. Francis entered through the same door moments later and sat down next to his killer.
After a few minutes, the killer stood up and the victim threw a punch at him, according to the source. Both men continued to fight, with the killer going on to stab Francis as the clash escalated.
The stabber fled the bus and has not been caught.
Todman-Francis spoke to her husband earlier in the day and the two discussed what they would have for dinner on Mother's Day.
'See you when I get home,' Francis told his wife, who quickly became worried when he didn't show up.
'I hadn't heard from him so I tracked his phone and I saw him at the precinct. So I called the precinct,' she said, explaining she was worried he'd been arrested.
Officers showed up on her doorstep not long after to deliver the tragic news.
Francis worked as a roofer and his job took him to multiple locations. 'He's a hard-working man,' his wife said. 'Work and home — literally, work and home and his favorite place is Home Depot.'
The two had been together for 21 years, got married five years ago and were planning a vow renewal ceremony for August.. They have three sons together.
Francis was working on Sunday to earn some extra cash for his son's middle school graduation. The shuttle bus runs on the weekend while the J train is out of service.
When asked if she had anything she wanted to say to the killer, Todman-Francis said, 'Do you want me going to jail? Just tell him, 'May God be with him.''
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dad of missing toddler jailed after telling mom he threw son into Bronx River
The father of a 2-year-old Bronx boy missing for a month has been thrown in jail after telling the toddler's mom he threw their son in the Bronx River, police sources said Tuesday. A Family Court judge found the 20-year-old dad in contempt of court and ordered him held on Rikers Island without bail on Monday for refusing to say where his son Montrell Williams could be found, officials said. A day earlier, he threatened the boy's mom with a knife when she demanded answers and told her he had tossed the boy into the river, a police source said. The dad was seen throwing a bag into the river near Bronx River Ave. and Bruckner Blvd. on May 10 — the same day Montrell came to spend time with him, a police source said. The father and the boy's 17-year-old mom have joint custody. On Tuesday, NYPD divers were searching for the missing boy in the Bronx River in the Soundview section of the Bronx, about a 15 minute walk from the dad's home on Hunts Point Ave. near Lafayette Ave where the boy was last seen. 'We're not leaving any stone unturned,' Mayor Adams said Tuesday. 'We're going to do a thorough investigation to determine where the child is.' 'This was a troubling series of events, based on the actions of the dad in handling the child,' the mayor added. 'We need to find out exactly what happened … Right now, our goal is to try to find the child … We are still praying that the child is alright.' The toddler's mother left Montrell with his father about 10 p.m. on May 10 so they could attend a Mother's Day celebration with the dad's family, a police source said. But a short time later, the father got in an argument with someone at the party and stormed off with the child. He never returned Montrell to his mother. Police later learned that the father was seen at a cousin's house in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx about 12:30 a.m. without the child — just two and a half hours after the mother left Montrell with him, the source said. On May 30, the mother and Montrell's grandmother went to Family Court to report the father had not returned the boy to her South Bronx home. A warrant was issued for the dad's arrest. Cops were investigating her claims when on Sunday the mother confronted the father, demanding her son back. During the frightening exchange, the father threatened the mom with a knife and told her he had thrown the child into the river, the police source said. 'She asked where their son was and he made concerning statements,' a second police source said. The mother again called police, who took the father into custody for questioning early Monday. He was hauled into Family Court and then sent to Rikers Island when he wouldn't divulge the location of his son. The search of the Bronx River began Monday and ended around 9:30 p.m. NYPD divers dove back into the rain swept waters Tuesday. As cops quizzed the dad Monday, they released a photo of Montrell and asked the public's help in finding the boy. Neighbors at the Bronx apartment building where Montrell lived with his mother were left stunned at the news of the boy's disappearance. One neighbor recognized the photo of the young boy, who she described as 'friendly'. 'I seen the little boy. I always seen the mom,' the neighbor, who didn't want to be named. said. 'The mom takes the baby to daycare every day.' Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. With Josephine Stratman
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Dad of missing boy, 2, may have told tot's mom he threw son off NYC bridge : sources
The father of the 2-year-old boy who vanished during a custodial visit last month may have told the tot's mom at knifepoint that he threw their son into the Bronx River, law enforcement sources said Tuesday. Arius Williams, 20, the dad of little Montrell Williams – who has been missing since May 10 – allegedly pulled a knife on the boy's mother when they ran into each other on the street Sunday, the sources said. During the confrontation, the armed dad allegedly claimed he threw the couple's son off the Bruckner Bridge, according to the sources. 4 Arius Williams, 20, the father of little Montrell Williams, disturbingly claimed he threw his toddler son into the Bronx River, sources said. NYPD Surveillance footage from that night – showing Arius throwing a black bag into the river – could back up that claim, the sources said. The NYPD dispatched dive teams to comb the area Monday night but found nothing, and were continuing to search Tuesday, according to the sources. Arius was ordered held without bail on a warrant for custodial interference Monday, after refusing to tell a family court judge his son's whereabouts, cops and sources said. 4 Williams made the sickening claim about a month after his 2-year-old son's disappearance, sources said. Desheania Andrews Charges are pending against the dad in connection to the knifepoint incident, the sources said. The disturbing ordeal unfolded on May 10 when Montrell – who was dropped off by his mom a day earlier for a custody visit – was at his dad's Hunts Point Avenue house for a Mother's Day celebration, the sources said. At some point during that gathering, Arius – who has split custody of Montrell and visitation rights – took the boy, according to the sources. 4 NYPD divers are searching the waterway for any signs of the missing tot. Desheania Andrews Over the next few days, the boy's concerned mom called the cops, who appeared to have told her they couldn't intervene if her son is on a regularly scheduled visit, the sources said. A judge issued a warrant for the elusive dad after the mom appeared in family court on May 28, saying she had no idea of her young son or ex's whereabouts, according to the sources. And now, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is probing the department's investigative work surrounding Montrell's case – namely whether the boy's disappearance should have been investigated as a custodial interference case rather than simply a missing person search. 4 The boy was attending a Mother's Day gathering with his dad — who has split custody of him — before he vanished, sources said. Google Maps Anyone with information on his disappearance is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at or on X @NYPDTips.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Off-duty Louisville Metro Police officer arrested in Hardin County for DUI
A Louisville Metro Police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being arrested for allegedly driving a motorcycle while intoxicated in Hardin County. An arrest citation shows that Kenneth Lawrence, 31, of Rineyville, was arrested by Kentucky State Police June 4. He is charged with a DUI, improper display of registration plates and failure to notify the proper departments of an address change. Lawrence, who was off-duty at the time of his arrest, was driving along Dixie Highway on a motorcycle when KSP conducted a traffic stop. He had allegedly been driving with an expired registration plate and told troopers that he had just purchased the vehicle. The LMPD officer informed KSP he was wearing his off-duty gun and was able to provide proof of registration and insurance for the motorcycle. At that time, the arresting trooper was able to smell alcohol on Lawrence and asked him if he had been drinking. Lawrence said he had a few beers but stopped three to four hours before driving and he agreed to a field sobriety test. KSP said in the arrest citation that Lawrence could not maintain his balance and forgot to look at his toes during the one leg stand test. Troopers believed Lawrence was "near the legal limit" and he was asked to do a breathalyzer test. After several minutes, Lawrence refused and he was arrested. While arresting Lawrence, KSP asked if his address remained the same as on his driver's license. He provided a different address and said he had been living there for more than a month. Lawrence was eventually taken to the Radcliff Police Department, where officials said his mouth was "visually inspected for any foreign substances." He also agreed to a breathalyzer test about an hour and a half after the traffic stop, blowing a 0.077, which is just below the legal limit. Lawrence declined a blood test and was taken to the Hardin County Detention Center on several charges. Jail records further show that Lawrence was released at around 8 a.m. June 5. LMPD spokesperson Matthew Sanders said the agency has launched an internal investigation. Lawrence is set to make his first court appearance June 25. More: After Mother's Day visit, Louisville woman says LMPD officer dragged her from her car Reach Marina Johnson at This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Off-duty LMPD officer arrested in Hardin County for DUI
