A man has been taken into custody after two people were stabbed Thursday in separate daylight attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a largely residential neighborhood, authorities said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said victim and witness accounts indicate the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both incidents. Investigators are now assessing whether the Upper West Side stabbings may qualify as a possible hate crime, she said.
Police said the first victim, a 57-year-old Asian man, was stabbed in the torso near West 84th Street and Central Park West.
The second victim, identified by police as a 50-year-old Jewish man, was stabbed near West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Both men were transported to a hospital in stable condition, police said. Tisch said they are expected to survive their injuries.
The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales, was arrested in connection with both assaults, Tisch said. Police said he was apprehended on the Upper West Side near West 88th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Tisch added that authorities are not searching for any additional suspects.
Investigators have not identified any known connection between Morales and either victim, or between the two victims themselves, according to Tisch.
Although the suspect has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the early investigation suggests mental health may have played a role, the commissioner said.
A motive remains under investigation and detectives continue to work the case.
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