Madman in Pajama Pants Smashes 6 Train Rider With Piece of Wood
The unusually attired assailant, though caught smiling on a surveillance camera, hasn’t yet been apprehended. Remain vigilant, New Yorkers.
| 03 Feb 2025 | 01:24
Pajama pants madman on the subway, Jan. 26, 2025. Police say he used a wooden club to strike a passenger on the platform. (
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Beer-and-pretzel-themed pajama pants made by Croft & Barrow. Auction ended Dec. 26, 2024. (
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What does a criminal look like? The answers are nearly infinite, but a recent attack by a smiling suspect came with the suspect wearing what looks to be pajama pants.
On Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, at approximately 1:10 p.m., an unidentified individual approached a 48-year-old male on a southbound 6 train approaching the East 51st Street subway station.
The unidentified individual swung a piece of wood at the victim’s face, breaking one of his teeth. The suspect then fled to parts unknown. The victim refused medical attention at the scene.
The 17th Precinct and Transit District 4 are seeking the suspect for assault.
Although the police themselves made no comment on the suspect’s appearance, surveillance photos show a light-skinned male who was seen smiling in the surveillance video.
Had he not already been fingered as the assailant, one might reasonably think he was the soon-to-be crime victim, not the perpetrator.
But then you notice his pants.
The photo is blurry and pixelated, but look closely for a second and you can’t stop looking: Besides the black jacket, gray hoodie and unlaced sneakers, he is wearing what college-age kids call “dorm pants.”
Are those . . . pajama pants? They look like pretzels and . . . what? A glass beer stein? Really?
Consultation with Straus News’ resident fashion reporter quickly elicited the answer: The suspect is indeed wearing Croft & Barrow-brand beer-and-pretzel-themed fleece men’s pajama pants, made in Vietnam of 100 percent polyester.
While this exact style doesn’t seem to be of current manufacture, the timeless beer-and-pretzel theme pants on a ground of dark blue—a color close to that of an NYPD cop’s uniform—are regularly purchased on the used market. Most recent eBay sales suggest a value of around $20, including shipping.
Anyone with information regarding this incident 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 Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.