Machete attack in West Farms has neighbors wary

Police say an argument Friday afternoon over barking dogs between two men led to one of them taking out a machete and cutting off four of the other man's fingers.

Greg Thompson

Jan 25, 2025, 4:23 PM

Updated 21 hr ago

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The West Farms community had a mixed reaction to a violent attack at a nearby bodega.
Police say an argument Friday afternoon over barking dogs between two men led to one of them taking out a machete and cutting off four of the other man's fingers.
Jimmy Harris lives upstairs from the bodega. He says "this never happens around here. There's really nothing, just traffic."
Most in the area were just shocked at the size of the knife.
The day after the attack, police told News 12 that they think the suspect is between 40 and 50 years old, around 5 foot 10 inches tall and 180 pounds.
They also released two pictures of the suspect, which barely show his face, but were still enough for a local resident, Jose Rosario, to say he recognized him from the outfit. He said he sees him walking his dog around the area.
When asked what he would do the next time he sees him, Rosario said, "keep on walking."
Other neighbors say the deli has become popular in the neighborhood, but after hearing about the attack outside of it, they had mixed feelings about going back.
"It's crazy because now my kids can't come downstairs," says Harris.
Perry Arias, who lives on the same block, said he was “not afraid of anything.”
“There's no need for fear. Fear is what gets you in trouble," says Arias.
Police say the victim is expected to be OK.