Man brandishing broken scissors slashes 3 men in downtown Yonkers, police say

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Friday, August 25, 2023
ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream

YONKERS, New York (WABC) -- A man went on a slashing rampage in Yonkers on Thursday, attacking three bystanders with a pair of broken scissors, police say.

Authorities say that Eric Ali, 35, of Yonkers, randomly attacked the three victims on Palisade Avenue just after 4 p.m. Thursday.

According to police. Ali approached the first victim, a 41-year-old man, inside a business at 1 Palisade Ave., slashing him with the scissors and leaving him with cuts on the left side of his head.

Ali then left the shop and attacked a second man, a 61-year-old who was slashed on the left side of his face and lip. Police said Ali attacked a third man as well, a 35-year-old who was cut on the right side of his head.

The first two victims were taken to an area hospital; the third victim had been attacked earlier and had taken himself to the hospital, police said. All three men were listed in stable condition.

Ali was detained at the scene and charged with three counts of second-degree assault. He remains in custody. He was set to be arraigned in Yonkers Criminal Court on Friday.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano praised police for making a quick arrest.

"I know these isolated incidents have certainly increased public concern this week, but I want to remind residents that our Yonkers Police Department has handled these incidents with skilled training, care, and concern," Spano said in a news release.

Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza credited having a concentration of police officers downtown for capturing the suspect before anybody else could get hurt.

"This individual will now have to answer for his heinous act in the court system," Sapienza said in the news release.

ALSO READ | Man charged in 'horrific' hammer attack that left 1 dead, 2 children injured

The children, a 5-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, are fighting for their lives in what police described as a "horrific and a senseless act of violence." Janice Yu reports.

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