The mother of a 51-year-old man accused of stabbing two people in separate Upper West Side attacks broke down in court Friday as prosecutors laid out new allegations about what they described as a hate-driven spree.
Raul Morales turned toward the gallery and mouthed, “I love you, mom,” after a judge ordered him held without bail in connection with Thursday’s violence, during which prosecutors said he shouted “Allahu Akbar” three times.
Moments later, his mother put her head in her hands and cried as officers led him out of the courtroom.
Assistant District Attorney Megan Joy said Morales came up behind the first victim near Central Park and, “without any provocation,” yelled “Allah Akbar” before stabbing him in the back with a knife.
Prosecutors alleged Morales then walked toward a nearby synagogue, shouted “justice for Islam” and “Allahu Akbar,” and later encountered a second victim about four blocks away.
That second victim, described in court as a Jewish man wearing a kippah, was stabbed in the chest with a screwdriver, according to the assistant district attorney.
After the attacks, Morales allegedly ran from the scene. Police later located him at his nearby apartment, where authorities said he surrendered less than an hour later.
Morales was arraigned on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and one count of attempted assault. Prosecutors are pursuing all of the charges as hate crimes.
