New York City police are investigating a pair of stabbings near Central Park as a possible hate crime, the police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, said on Thursday.
The suspect, Raul Morales, allegedly stabbed a 57-year-old Asian man in the back with a knife, then stabbed a 50-year-old Jewish man in the torso with a screwdriver, according to a New York police department spokesperson. Morales allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” before the stabbings, police said. The attacks occurred about two blocks apart and in broad daylight in Manhattan’s affluent Upper West Side neighborhood.
Despite initial reports that both men were Jewish, the Asian victim was not, according to the Times of Israel.
Both victims were transported to Mount Sinai hospital, where they appeared to be in stable condition.
New York police were assessing whether a mental health problem had driven the suspect’s actions.
“While the perpetrator has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor,” Tisch tweeted in a statement on X. “At this time there is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other.”
After the stabbings, Morales, 51, walked back to his apartment, according to the New York Times. A witness watched him and told police which building the suspect had entered, the NYPD spokesperson said.
“I want to commend the bravery of a good Samaritan who led our officers to the location where the perpetrator was hiding,” Tisch wrote in her post.
Zohran Mamdani wrote on X that he was “relieved that both victims are in stable condition”.
“These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” the New York City mayor wrote.
