QUEENS, NEW YORK: A woman who was intimidated by a homeless would-be mugger regards NY subway vigilante John Rote as a "hero" but wishes he had helped without shooting a gun inside the station.
The 40-year-old woman, who did not wish to be recognized, told The Post over the phone on Friday that she felt "pure terror" throughout Tuesday's incident on the city's subway system, which she says has become increasingly dangerous for commuters.
One explanation for the shady conditions underground, she claimed, was the lack of severe consequences for serial offenders who hang out at subway stops, such as the man who tried to rob her on Tuesday, November 7.
What happened inside the subway station?
The nightmarish incident happened when the woman was heading back to her home in Queens. She encountered a homeless man named Matthew Roesch at the 49th Street station near Times Square.
Roesch allegedly harassed her for money after holding the emergency gate open for her. She tried to walk through, but he blocked her way and demanded money.
Despite her refusal, he followed her and threatened to take her bag. She tried walking away from him, but he kept following her.
Roesch, who is known to police for pulling the scheme on numerous occasions allegedly tried seizing her bag when the 43-year-old John Rote, allegedly drew out his handgun and fired several shots across the subway station, asking the would-be mugger to leave the innocent woman alone.
“Of course, I am happy that that man tried to help me and that nobody was injured during this incident, but it’s scary to think that people are carrying guns around the city. I understand why people do it, they see it as their only means of protection,” the woman said to The Post.
In surveillance footage, Rote was seen casually reaching for the firearm from his bag and aiming it at the scuffle before yelling, "Get the f-k away from her!"
“It all happened within seconds. It didn’t faze the homeless man, he continued to say, ‘Give me money, give me money,'” the woman explained.
Rote allegedly shot the second time while yelling at Roesch to back away from his victim. Roesch eventually paused, giving the woman the opportunity to flee.
What happened after two shots in the air from John Rote?
The woman fled and found shelter inside an MTA maintenance room after a worker opened the door to check out the pandemonium as approximately 40 people in the station scattered upon hearing the gunshots.
The worker put a heavy metal cabinet against the door to keep the gunman and would-be mugger from following them inside.
She recalled, “I was terrified, I was feeling fear, panic. I was ready for anything, to fight for my life in any way. The gun was pointed in my direction, and that’s all I saw. It was a feeling of pure terror that I don’t wish on anyone.”
Matthew Roesch was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, but Rote was able to flee. However, within a day, Rote was arrested at his Manhattan job after an anonymous tipster recognized him from police-leaked footage.
John Rote reportedly admitted to the shooting and informed the authorities that he had thrown the gun into the East River. The NYPD charged him with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and menacing.
According to law enforcement sources, it is unlikely that Rote was aiming at the vagrant and was only trying to scare him off.
The woman’s feelings on Tuesday’s incident
Although the woman expressed gratitude for Rote, she expressed regret that a handgun had to be involved in the altercation.
“In this case the man risked a lot to protect me, his safety, and the safety of other people on the platform. Yes, I do think he is a hero, but I don’t know, I would likely think him a bigger hero if he tried to help me without the gun. In my eyes, the gun is a little extreme. It was a very dangerous situation, anything could have happened.”
The woman also chastized the MTA and the NYPD for doing little to prevent such turmoil inside the city’s subways.
She described the experience as the second of two uncomfortable meetings with homeless people on the 49th Street platform in a single day; her morning began with another man openly masturbating on a bench without shame. She added, "That set the tone for the day."
“The MTA and the NYPD aren’t doing much to protect the public. But it’s very dangerous. There are many incidents where weapons were involved and it ended badly. Honestly, I am against people carrying weapons with them around the city,” she added.
“The MTA increased fares, but nothing changed. Two incidents in one day. They let these people do whatever they want. This incident is entirely the fault of the MTA and the NYPD. They need to increase rider safety.”
The woman went on to say that persistent offenders, such as Roesch, who has been jailed several times for hand-collecting and selling MetroCards on subways, should face harsher penalties.
“The homeless people are allowed to do what they want without punishment. They let that guy go. That sends a message that they can do what they want and get away with it,” she explained.
The woman concluded by saying, “He’s going to continue to do this again and again. I rarely ever see patrols on the subway. They only start patrolling after something happens somewhere. They should be there every day, making sure riders are safe.”
