NYPD probes Upper West Side stabbings as possible hate crime after suspect allegedly shouted phrase
Police are investigating two stabbings on Manhattan’s Upper West Side as a potential hate crime after the suspect is reported to have shouted a religious phrase while attacking a Jewish and an Asian man.
Police said a 51-year-old suspect, identified as Raul Morales, attacked two men on the Upper West Side on Thursday afternoon, allegedly shouting "Allahu Akbar" during the assaults. Both victims, one identified as Jewish and the other as Asian, were transported to a hospital in stable condition. Authorities indicated the attacks appeared to be separate incidents that occurred near each other and found no known connection between the suspect and either victim.
A witness described seeing a knife embedded in one of the victims and said the scene was extremely frightening. Another eyewitness, who was inside a nearby synagogue, reported hearing the suspect use a screwdriver to stab a man in the chest before leaving the area. The victim later removed the screwdriver himself while receiving medical care.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said initial findings suggest mental health may have been a factor, although the suspect has no known mental-health history with the department. City officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, condemned the incident, stating that such attacks have no place in New York and emphasizing the city’s support for its Jewish community.