Suspect shoves man to death in Chelsea hours after being taken into custody, NYPD says

A 76-year-old man has died after being shoved down subway entrance steps in Chelsea by a man who was in police custody hours earlier, the NYPD said.

It happened just before 9:30 p.m. Thursday at West 18th Street and 7th Avenue. 

Responding officers found Ross Falzone on the subway stairs with head injuries and a fractured spine. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, but later died. 

Police believe they know who did it, because they say he was taken into custody earlier that very day. 

At around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, police said they encountered the suspect acting erratically outside the 17th Precinct stationhouse. He was taken into custody and officers brought him to Bellevue Hospital. He was taken to the psychiatric emergency room for evaluation, and released by the hospital an hour later. 

At around 9:30 p.m. that night, surveillance video captures Falzone approaching the subway. The suspect who had been taken into custody earlier in the day can be seen walking quickly behind him, then shoving Falzone down the steps, according to police. 

Falzone struck his head about halfway down the steps. 

Emergency responders were called and Falzone was rushed to Bellevue Hospital. He died just before 3 a.m. Friday morning. 

Police said Friday afternoon the suspect is now back in custody. 

"It scares me. It scares me about a lot of things that are going in the city," Chelsea resident Susan Antonson said. 

Falzone lived on the Upper West Side and was described by neighbors as a friendly, longtime resident.