The night of incident
May 20, 2015 By Christian Murray
The woman who pushed a man to his death at the 40th Street subway station in December 2012 has been sentenced to 24 years prison, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
Erika Mendendez, 33, who pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in March, shoved Sunnando Sen, 46, in front of a Queens-bound 7 train while he was waiting for the train’s arrival at around 8 pm on December 27.
Menendez, who was talking to herself on the platform prior to the incident, approached Sen from behind and pushed him onto the tracks as a train was pulling into the station.
Sen was struck by the train and died of multiple blunt force trauma.
Linda Santini-Tripodis, the owner of Merit Group & Associates who was by the station at the time, said: “I heard the train screech as it was stopping and then heard this loud scream. I’m never going to forget that scream for as long as I live.”
Menendez was caught by the police in Brooklyn two days after the incident.
“The defendant committed what is every subway commuter’s worst nightmare – being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train. The victim was shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself.”
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23 Comments
She is mentally ill
To have this happen on our local 7 train stop just makes life seem but a mere blip; fleeting. This guy was just minding his business. Whether it’s a 2 year old dying from a falling brick or a young man on a lunch date or a young cadet heading home on a break, we never know when our time will come. I think about this guy every time I wait at that stop. I don’t think about her much.
Its so sad no one has mentioned his family my prayers go out to them. As for the woman who pusde Mr Sen the court made their decision even though we may not see as fair. The court has decided . I will keep his family in my prayers
Wow, you are so pious. I thought of this verse from Matthew: when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
but they’re already talking about releasing Pistorious in S Africa, he only served a few months (killed the girl in 2013 – if your gonna kill someone it pays to be a celebrity!! He’ll be runnin around the track again real soon.
Or, if you’re in NYC, do it with a car.
http://freakonomics.com/2014/05/01/the-perfect-crime-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
Irrational hatred of cars has reached epidemic proportions, I think. People spout off about them all the time.
Irrational hatred? No. This is an academically thorough analysis. That means it can’t be discounted just because you disagree with the findings.
I also heard in the news about the reason why she pushed him because she thought he was an Arab “Habibi” , this is ignorance at its best people have to educate them self first before everything else. He wasn’t even an Arab, he was guy from Indian descent
I feel as sorry for her as I do for poor Mr. Sen She was (and is) obviously mentally ill. deserves our compassion. Many of the people who post on this blog seem to suffer as well…..peace!
You can feel sorry for her. She should be incarcerated in some form for the rest of her life.
She deserves a trip upstate to Ol’ Sparky, nothing more.
Lots of killers read the Sunnyside Post, I see.
No…lots of people who understand that capital punishment has a role in the criminal justice system. If that makes me a killer in your eyes, oh well. I can live with it.
Lot’s of people do but most people do not. We’ve mostly gotten rid of capital punishment, like every other civilized nation on earth, since it’s be shown to be a messy, expensive, and ineffective way of punishment. Furthermore, there’s enough distrust of both local and federal authorities when it comes to day-to-day operations of this country that giving them the right to execute citizens doesn’t make sense. Considering that over 150 people have been put on death row and then were later exonerated, and it’s estimated that at least 30 Americans have been wrongfully executed, most of us have realized that long periods of incarceration are a better choice of punishment.
First, the majority of Americans support capital punishment, according to polls. Get your facts right (http://www.gallup.com/poll/1606/death-penalty.aspx).
Second, the right to use lethal force to enforce its objectives is exclusively reserved for the state, either through war or through capital sentencing as part of the criminal justice system. If you don’t trust the state, then vote at the ballot box or with your feet. (or bloviate online)
Third, the costs of the death penalty are largely due to excessive drawn out litigation. Perhaps we should execute 50% of the lawyers in the country first (I doubt many would mind).
Finally, what percent of wrongful executions are of people who have never committed a violent or socially damaging crime? Few enough that I am OK with the error rate. Life is full of tragic errors, and I worry more about car accidents and medical errors than wrongful executions.
@David “My solution is to let the offspring starve – reduce welfare benefits to zero. It is how nature weeds out the stupid and ill equipped to survive.” David May 20th 2015. Anyone who would say something so stupid should never be taken seriously. You’re probably stupid enough to believe the death penalty makes you safer. Fact the states in US with the death penalty have highest murder rates. 2013 FBI uniform crime report 2013, the average Murder Rate of Death Penalty states was 4.4, while the average Murder Rate of States without the Death Penalty was 3.4. The countries which have outlawed the death penalty are almost all of the safest in the world. Iceland, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand,Georgia, Canada, Japan, Norway and Singapore listed by the world bank and State Dept. The only way to reduce violent crime ((murder too) is through poverty reduction and education which these countries have done and proven. Your ideology creates as quoted above, increases violence in society only you’re too stupid to realize the relationship between the policies you endorse and policies you scorn and violence. Let me guess you’re a Republican…. Truly the party of stupid.
Ari: I really think that the punishment should fit the crime. She should be thrown in front of an oncoming 7 train by one of the victims relatives.
That’s all? 24 yrs? Is this mandatory sentence, if not, I hope it is because this crazy lady should never be walking the streets with normal people like you and me. Maybe punishment should be to push her against an oncoming train, or better yet, make these people crash test dummies, don’t waste money in plastic dummies when you can use a real person.
With parole, she could be out in 17.
So you want to be a killer, too, huh? I hope they get you off the streets soon.
there are no normal people in NYC period. only sick, twisted, demented cretins. luckily, I’m moving out to a better life outside of this state.
Crazy woman, walkin’ down the street