#Queens man charged in ‘unprovoked’ Grand Central shooting

A 26-year-old Queens man was arraigned on attempted murder charges Monday for allegedly shooting a stranger on a subway platform at Grand Central Terminal in what prosecutors called “an unprovoked and inexplicable assault.”

Tearance Crumpty, who was ordered held on $200,000 bail, was also hit with first-degree assault and weapons-possession charges in the Saturday-morning attack that wounded a 40-year-old straphanger.

Assistant District Attorney Courtney Razner said Crumpty “targeted and followed a complete stranger off a subway train and shot him in an unprovoked and inexplicable assault.”

“The defendant was identified after a tip when surveillance footage of him was released, and when police officers took him into custody a revolver similar to the one recorded in the shooting was recovered in his pocket,” Razner said. “The defendant also admitted to detectives that he shot someone in the train station.”

The victim, identified as David Altamirano, an employee at a Financial District pizzeria, was on his way to work at 10:30 a.m. Saturday when he was shot in the arm. Prosecutors said he had to undergo surgery for his injuries and will require further operations.

During his arraignment in Manhattan criminal court, Crumpty — who has two open cases in Brooklyn for robbery and weapons possession — pleaded with Judge Anne Swern to be released without bail, promising to return to court.

“I highly respected you, miss,” he told the judge. “I just want you to know that I’m not that type of person.”

“Judge, I can’t make bail at all,” Crumpty said. “I didn’t have no money for that. I really will come back to court.”

But prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $200,000 cash or a $600,000 bond, which the judge granted.

Crumpty faces up to 25 years in state prison if convicted of the top charge.