51-year-old Raul Morales was also charged with attempted murder in both attacks, assault as hate crime in the second attack and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Morales was taken into custody Thursday after two men were attacked within minutes of each other in the neighborhood.
On Friday, he shouted cryptic responses when asked why he attacked two random men, one Jewish, the other Asian. In the courtroom he also shouted that he 'loved his mother.'
According to investigators, the first attack happened around 1:30 p.m. near Central Park West and West 84th Street, where a 57-year-old Asian man was stabbed in the back. A short time later, police say a 50-year-old Jewish man was stabbed near West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, close to a synagogue.
Both victims were taken to a local hospital and are expected to recover, according to police. Investigators say the suspect allegedly used a blade and a screwdriver during the attacks.
According to the police commissioner, the victims and witnesses reported hearing Morales yell 'Allahu Akbar' during the attacks, which in Arabic means 'God is the greatest.'
The 50-year-old Jewish man had a screwdriver rammed into the right side of his chest and is recovering at Mount Sinai Morningside.
"He's doing OK. He's speaking. Thank God he's speaking. He's conscious. He's stable. They're just monitoring things to make sure things didn't get worse," said Dr. Nava Silton, the 50-year-old victim's friend.
Silton said: "We saw each other in the lobby, and I saw him right before he left the building and before it happened. So it was just, really shocking. And then when I came downstairs, I heard someone had been stabbed and I ran over, and he had just been taken by an ambulance."
The attacks rattled residents and members of the community, particularly because the second stabbing occurred near a house of worship. One synagogue member described the violence as frightening, saying it was especially unsettling to learn that someone associated with a synagogue he has attended for years was targeted.
In a statement posted on social media, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the NYPD's initial investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor in the attacks, while condemning what he called "hateful and despicable" acts of violence.
Jewish leaders and elected officials held a news conference Friday morning to condemn the attacks, as some Jewish leaders accused Mayor Mamdani of being complicit in sowing hate.
Earlier this week, Mamdani called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes.
UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein had a critical message for the mayor despite Mamdani's earlier statement: "Mayor Mamdani, stop fanning the flames of hatred and division. The consequences are not abstract. They are playing out on our streets. But make no mistake, we are not going anywhere."
The Mayor defended his position and released a statement on Friday night saying his administration will always stand against bigotry and do everything in its power to root out antisemitism.
"I want to make very clear that my criticisms of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are of specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and any criticisms of any foreign state should never be confused for criticisms of a people or of a faith," Mamdani said. "And my responsibility as the mayor of this city is to every New Yorker no matter their faith, their background, and frankly their politics, whether or not they agree with me on any of these assessments."
After the hate crime charges were announced by police, Mamdani released this statement.
"If one person is hurting, we are all hurting," Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said as a message of support.
Attorney General Letitia James used the opportunity to express her support for the Jewish and Asian communities. She said that she spoke to both Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg about the case.
"We expect the district attorney to fully prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law, whether this attack is ultimately prosecuted as a hate crime," said Mark Treyger, Jewish Community Relations Council.
Morales is due back in court on July 30.
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