The NYPD has confirmed that the suspect arrested in Thursday’s stabbing attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both assaults.
As YWN first reported, two men were stabbed in separate attacks. One victim is Jewish and was walking to shul when he was attacked. The second victim is an Asian man. Both were transported by Hatzalah to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and are now expected to survive, according to the NYPD.
Police identified the suspect as 51-year-old Raul Morales, who was taken into custody shortly after the attacks. No other suspects are being sought.
According to investigators, the first attack occurred near West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, where a 40-year-old man was stabbed in the back. The suspect then walked several blocks toward Central Park West, where he allegedly stabbed a 50-year-old man in the chest.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said detectives are continuing to investigate the motive and are evaluating whether the attacks constitute a hate crime. While Morales has no known mental health history with the NYPD, Tisch said the initial investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor.
Authorities also said there is no known connection between the suspect and either victim, nor between the two victims themselves.
Tisch praised a Good Samaritan who alerted police to the suspect’s location, as well as the NYPD officers who apprehended Morales without further injuries. Manhattan Shomrim also responded to the scene and assisted the NYPD.
The attacks occurred just hours after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a pathetic Tisha B’Av message wishing Jewish New Yorkers a “peaceful Tisha B’Av.” Following the stabbings, Mamdani issued a statement condemning the attacks, saying they were “hateful and despicable” and had “no place in our city.”
Meanwhile, Mamdani and his Jihadist wife are celebrating behind closed doors in Gracie Mansion.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
