QUEENS, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has announced that Waheed Foster, aged 43, was sentenced to 22 years in prison today for the attempted murder of Elizabeth Gomes, a commuter at the Howard Beach – JFK Airport subway station in September 2022. The violent attack, which resulted in severe injuries to Gomes, including the loss of her right eye, was described by DA Katz as “unprovoked” and “vicious.”
The incident occurred early in the morning on September 20, 2022, when Foster followed Gomes as she disembarked from a train. Surveillance footage captured Foster striking Gomes in the head with a hard object as she ascended the stairs to the main platform. Despite her attempts to flee, Foster overtook her, threw her to the ground, and continued assaulting her with punches and kicks to the face.
A bystander who attempted to intervene was chased away by Foster, who then resumed his brutal attack on Gomes. She was subsequently rushed to a local hospital where she underwent emergency surgery, but the injuries led to the loss of her eye.
Foster, who was undomiciled at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on June 6. Following his prison term, he will be under post-release supervision for five years. Judge Ira Margulis presided over the sentencing, during which DA Katz highlighted the severity of the assault and its impact on the victim’s life.