Hector Deleon, a homeless man accused of attacking five people with a double-edged knife at Penn Station, has a history of violence that mirrors this recent incident. Four years ago, he carried out a remarkably similar assault in New Jersey, The Post has uncovered.
In the 2022 Newark case, Deleon, now 51, was sentenced to just two years of probation despite inflicting serious injuries. The victim, who remains unidentified, was severely wounded and required nine stitches in his neck to repair the damage, according to court documents from February 2022.
Despite the severity of the Newark attack, Deleon did not appear to spend any notable time incarcerated. This lack of confinement lasted until his alleged involvement in another violent episode on Sunday evening, when he reportedly launched an unprovoked assault in the bustling Midtown commuter area. Law enforcement sources and eyewitnesses provided accounts of the chaotic scene.
The recent stabbing spree resulted in injuries to five individuals, with one person sustaining serious harm, as confirmed by FDNY officials.
Stay informed with live updates on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda and the latest developments in NYC politics.
The stabbing spree left five people bloodied, with one seriously injured, FDNY officials said.
Amtrak police nabbed Deleon, who has been hospitalized under heavy sedation, sources said. He had not yet been officially charged by Monday afternoon.
Sources said Deleon used a “boot dagger” — or a double-sided blade about six inches in lenght — during the deranged, drugged-up attack.
Court records and sources show Deleon’s criminal record is streaked with violence, with several arrests for assault — including one just last month, also in New Jersey.
Details about that arrest weren’t immediately available.
The Feb. 8, 2022 knife attack, meanwhile, unfolded along Newark’s Frelinghuysen Avenue, where a man got in an argument with Deleon, the criminal complaint states.
The man told Deleon he was not allowed on the property because he stole things, the papers state.
“The actor (Deleon) then became (enraged) and pulled out a 6 inch knife with a black/gray handle,” the complaint states, “stabbing the victim once on the left side of his neck.”
Newark cops arrested Deleon, leading to charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
He later pleaded guilty for aggravated assault, for which he received two years of probation with conditions he perform 100 hours of community service and continue mental health treatment.
The knife used in the 2022 attack appears similar to the fixed-blade dagger-type knife with a 4- to 6-inch blade that sources said was recovered from the Penn Station incident.
One victim – Henry Obadiah, 60 – said the disheveled Deleon had “rage in his eyes” as he clocked him in the face.
“I didn’t realize I had just been slashed in the face,” he recalled.
