NYPD weighs hate crime charges after Asian man, Jewish man stabbed on Upper West Side
Upper West Side stabbings investigated as possible hate crimes
Two men were hospitalized after separate stabbings on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Police say one victim is Asian and the other is Jewish, and investigators are working to determine whether the attacks were motivated by hate. A 51-year-old suspect is in custody, while both victims are expected to recover.
New York City - The NYPD is investigating whether a man who allegedly stabbed an Asian man and a Jewish man on the Upper West Side after yelling "Allahu Akbar" should be charged with a hate crime.
What we know:
Raul Morales, 51, was taken into police custody Thursday afternoon after one stabbing victim was found near Amsterdam Ave. and West 86th St., and another was found near West 84th St. and Central Park West.
Morales was apprehended at 89th Street and Amsterdam, according to police.
Both victims were hospitalized in stable condition.
What they're saying:
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said victim and witness statements reported Morales shouted "Allahu Akbar" during each of the attacks, but a possible motive remains under investigation.
Tisch added there were no known links between Morales and the victims, and that investigators believe mental health may have played a role in the stabbings.
"These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media.
'It is incredibly scary': Interview with friend of UWS stabbing victim
FOX 5 NY's Richard Giacovas speaks with Dr. Nava Silton, who spoke with one of the victims of the Upper West Side stabbing attack before he was assaulted.
What's next:
The rabbi of The Jewish Center near Amsterdam and West 86th confirmed to FOX 5 NY that one of the victims, a 50-year-old man, had just left the synagogue before getting stabbed.
The Jewish Center will hold a news conference Friday morning.
The Source: This story contains information from the NYPD.