A homeless man with a long criminal history has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for pushing a college student in front of an oncoming train at a White Plains station. The Journal News reports that 41-year-old Howard Mickens received the sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty in December. The incident happened in September 2013.
Maya Leggat, 21, was the victim. She was pushed in front of the train, struck and suffered two broken legs and her ring finger on the left hand was cut off.
Leggat was looking over some coursework on her Kindle and noticed Mickens looking at her. They never spoke to each other and when he saw her look at him he looked away to see if the train was coming.
When it got closer he got behind her, put his hands on her waist and tossed her into the path of the train, according to her father. Surveillance video supports this.
Mickens has no motive for pushing Leggat, who was forgiving at the court hearing. The only reason he gave was a rant at a previous hearing that he was “guilty with an explanation” and people were out to kill him.
