NYPD weighs hate crime charges after Asian man, Jewish man stabbed on Upper West Side
NYC leaders hold rally against hate after Upper West Side stabbings
Members of the city's Jewish and Asian communities came together after two men were stabbed and injured on the Upper West Side. FOX 5 NY's Hayley Fixler reports.
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.
The backstory:
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.
A 57-year-old Asian man was found stabbed in the back, and a 50-year-old man wearing a yarmulke was reportedly stabbed in the torso with a screwdriver while exiting a synagogue after prayers during a Jewish holiday.
Both victims were hospitalized in stable condition.
'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 we know:
Morales was apprehended at 89th Street and Amsterdam, according to police. He has not yet gone before a judge and, so far, no charges have been announced.
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.
What they're saying:
Elected leaders and members of both the Jewish and Asian communities stood together at a rally against hate outside The Jewish Center on West 86th Street.
"It's really critically important that individuals understand that antisemitic acts have been growing in the City of New York," Attorney General Letitia James said. "Also, acts against the Asian community have also been on the increase."
"It's not only just one Jewish member and one Asian member getting attacked. It's an attack on every single one of us," said NYC Council Member Susan Zhuang.
Some members of the Jewish community criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for what they said was hateful rhetoric – like his videos and speeches blasting Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – that created an atmosphere of violence against Jews across the city.
"These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city," Mamdani said on social media after the stabbings.
By the numbers:
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine said the Jewish population is no more than 12% of the city, yet they are victims in more than half of the reported hate crimes.
"Mayor Mamdani, stop fanning the flames of hatred and division. The consequences are not abstract. They're playing out on our streets," said Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York.
"No elected official is responsible for every act of hate, but every leader is responsible for helping shape the climate in which we all live," said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
The Source: This story contains information from the NYPD.