Subway puncher who targeted light-skinned women gets 12-24 years

October 20, 2022 Rob Abruzzese

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP.

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EAST WILLIAMSBURG — A Brooklyn man who targeted light-skinned women in and around an L-train subway stop in East Williamsburg was sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to seven separate attacks.

Khari Covington, now 31 years old, lived in an East Williamsburg transitional housing center when he attacked at least seven women in different attacks between August 5, 2020 and January 4, 2021. Investigators said that he was targeting women with a light-skinned complexion.

“Today’s lengthy prison sentence holds this predator accountable for his terrifying spree of violent attacks on women and sends a strong message that we will not tolerate hate crimes in Brooklyn,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “My office remains committed to seeking justice for all hate crime victims, and I thank these very strong women for their courage and cooperation.”

Covington appeared before Kings County Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun when he pleaded guilty on September 7, 2022 to third-degree burglary as a hate crime, second-degree attempted strangulation as a hate crime and third-degree assault as a hate crime.

There were nine incidents tied to Covington when the news reports broke at the time of his arrest. However, he only pleaded to seven incidents and five of those were at or inside the Morgan Avenue subway station.

The first incident took place inside 20 Morgan Avenue, between Thames Street and Flushing Avenue at approximately 9:45 a.m., about five blocks from the subway station.

Covington then went on a spree between November 17, 2020, and January 2, 2021 where he attacked five different women at the Morgan Avenue subway stop, mostly in the evening between 5 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.

The final assault took place on January 4 at 5:10 p.m. inside a smoke shop located at 12 Wilson Avenue, between Flushing Avenue and Noll Street.