NYPD investigates possible hate crime after two men stabbed on Upper West Side
Police say two men, an Asian and a Jewish victim, were stabbed in daylight on Manhattan's Upper West Side; authorities are assessing whether the attacks constitute a hate crime.
Police responded to two separate stabbings on Thursday afternoon on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where a 57-year-old Asian man and a 50-year-old Jewish man were attacked in broad daylight. The New York City Police Commissioner said the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales, was taken into custody and that investigators are reviewing whether the incidents qualify as hate crimes. Witnesses reported the attacker shouting a phrase often associated with extremist rhetoric during both assaults, and officials noted that mental-health issues may have played a role.
The first victim was found conscious with a wound to his back after a 911 call at about 1:30 p.m., while the second suffered a chest wound nearby. Both were transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in stable condition and are expected to survive. No known connection has been established between Morales and either victim, nor between the victims themselves, according to the commissioner.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the “horrifying stabbings” and affirmed that police are investigating the motive. A volunteer from the Jewish neighborhood watch group Shomrim described seeing one victim wearing a yarmulke and heading to or from a synagogue on the Jewish day of mourning Tisha B’Av. The volunteer credited the rapid police response for the suspect’s swift arrest.