Suspect arrested after 2 men stabbed near Central Park on Upper West Side
The NYPD is looking into the attacks as potential hate crimes based on witness statements
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A suspect was arrested after two men were stabbed near Central Park on the Upper West Side on Thursday afternoon, an attack police are now looking into as a potential hate crime.
The stabbings began at West 84th Street and Central Park West where a 57-year-old Asian man was stabbed in the torso around 1:30 p.m.
The second stabbing, of a 50-year-old Jewish man, occurred at 86th and Amsterdam near a church and a synagogue.
Thursday was an annual day of mourning for people of the Jewish faith, and this became yet another tragedy to mourn.
"On this very, very solemn day to have somebody who is a contemporary of mine in a synagogue I've been going to for many, many years - it's very scary. It's hard to process," said synagogue member Susan Canter.
Both victims were taken to Mt. Sinai-St. Luke's Hospital.
One victim was initially listed in critical condition, but now both victims are expected to survive, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
A short time later, police took the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales, into custody at an apartment building on Amsterdam Avenue between 88th and 89th, a couple blocks away from the second stabbing scene. Officials say no other person is being sought in the investigation.
Commissioner Tisch said detectives are now working to determine a motive, but according to victim and witness statements, said that "Morales yelled 'Allahu Akbar' during both attacks," and the department is "evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime."
"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 said. "At this time there is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other."
Police believe Morales used a blade and a screwdriver in the attack. He has not been charged yet.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was briefed on the attacks, and echoed the details provided by the commissioner, and said, "These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city."
Council Speaker Julie Menin released a statement in response to the stabbings that said in part, "I am absolutely sickened and furious by what appears to be an antisemitic stabbing on the Upper West Side. While we await additional details to be confirmed, we know that what is happening in our city is abhorrent."
The UJA-Federation of New York also released the statement in response to the attack, and called out the mayor, saying, "These attacks came soon after Mayor Mamdani once again used his official platform to viciously attack Israel, the only Jewish state. We cannot ignore the dangerous climate created when elected leaders relentlessly portray Israel - and, by extension, the many Jewish New Yorkers who feel a deep connection to it - as uniquely evil and illegitimate."
The 51-year-old suspect does not have a significant criminal history, just two drug arrests from 1991 and a handful of others that are sealed.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts on the go
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
