Two men freed after bus assault on elderly Good Samaritan in NYC

Jaiden Marrero, 24, and Donzell Mitchell, 19, surrendered after relatives urged them to turn themselves in, then were released without bail by a Manhattan judge.

Suspects in NYC bus attack on elderly man walk free after arraignment

Two men who beat and stabbed a 73-year-old passenger aboard a Manhattan MTA bus have been released without bail following their arraignment, NY Post Metro reports.

Jaiden Marrero, 24, and Donzell Mitchell, 19, both from the Bronx, surrendered to authorities on Thursday — nearly three weeks after the June 5 attack on Robert Hunter. A relative recognized the pair from a "Wanted" flyer and urged them to turn themselves in, according to authorities and law-enforcement sources.

Both men were charged with felony assault in what marked their first arrest. Judge Jeffrey Gershuny granted them supervised release at arraignment on Friday, overruling prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office who had requested $150,000 bail or $300,000 bond. It was not immediately clear why the judge declined to impose bail, though the charge is bail-eligible.

Hunter told NY Post Metro he had intervened on the evening-rush-hour M104 bus on the Upper West Side after noticing one of the assailants pressing against a pregnant woman. "So all I said was, 'You know the lady's pregnant, show her some respect,'" Hunter recalled.

The intervention made Hunter the immediate target. According to a criminal complaint, the two men struck him repeatedly in the head and body before placing him in a chokehold. One of the suspects then said, "Now you're getting poked," before producing a knife and stabbing Hunter in the left shoulder, per police and the court document.

Emergency medical services transported Hunter to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. He described his injuries as minor — three stitches and no black eye — and showed no regret for stepping in.

"I try to look out 'cause if that was my daughter… she was pregnant, and someone was pushing her around, and you know, there's no respect for women on the bus," Hunter said.

Marrero and Mitchell are scheduled to return to court on August 19, the DA's office confirmed.

Source: NY Post Metro