2 stabbed in suspected Upper West Side hate crime
The violence unfolded around 1:30 p.m. near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Police say they first received a 911 call about an emotionally disturbed man armed with a knife.
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A man is in custody after police say he stabbed two men in separate attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side Thursday afternoon in what investigators believe may have been a hate crime.
The violence unfolded around 1:30 p.m. near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Police say they first received a 911 call about an emotionally disturbed man armed with a knife. Moments earlier, investigators say the suspect stabbed an Asian man and a Jewish man, both in their 50s, at locations just blocks apart.
The suspect, identified by police as 51-year-old Raul Morales, was later found hiding nearby after a pedestrian alerted officers to his location. He was taken into custody without further incident.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Morales is believed to have acted alone and allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the stabbings.
Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the violence, saying she was “disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish,” adding that “New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always.”
The stabbings came one day after Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the White House to consider arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit New York, though investigators have not suggested any connection between the mayor’s comments and Thursday’s attacks.
Police say Morales has no known mental health history with the NYPD, but Tisch said the preliminary investigation indicates mental health may have been a factor. Charges are pending, and the investigation remains ongoing.
