A 51-year-old man was arrested after two unprovoked knife attacks injured two adult men near Central Park in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. Police commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the suspect yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both assaults, and authorities are evaluating the incidents as potential hate crimes.
Raul Morales Arrested Following Upper West Side Stabbings
Two men were hospitalized in stable condition following broad-daylight stabbings near Central Park on Thursday, according to the New York City Police Department. The attacks occurred roughly two blocks apart along Central Park West. The first assault took place at approximately 1:30 p.m. near West 84th Street, where a 57-year-old man was found conscious and alert with a stab wound to his back. Investigators subsequently located a second victim, a 50-year-old man, nearby with a stab wound to his torso near West 86th Street.
Police identified the suspect in custody as Raul Morales, 51. According to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a bystander acted as a good Samaritan by leading law enforcement directly to the apartment building where Morales was hiding a couple of blocks away from the second scene. The NYPD Emergency Service Unit responded to the location and negotiated with the suspect before taking him into custody.
Motive Evaluation and Potential Hate Crime Investigation
Law enforcement officials are investigating the exact motive behind the violence. Tisch reported that detectives are continuing to work the case and evaluate whether the attacks constitute a hate crime. One of the victims is of Asian descent, while the other is Jewish. Investigators noted that neither victim was known to have any prior relationship with Morales or with each other.
“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ during both attacks. The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime.”
Jessica Tisch, Police Commissioner, via Nbcnews
While Tisch noted that Morales has no known mental health history with the police department, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor.
Witness Accounts and Community Reaction on Tisha B’Av
The attacks unfolded in front of daytime crowds on the Upper West Side. Witness Marianna Ellenberg described seeing a victim on the street with a knife sticking out of his back in bright afternoon sunlight, noting how the violence shattered any conventional sense of neighborhood safety.
Elected officials voiced sharp condemnation following the incident. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin stated that she was absolutely sickened and furious by what appears to be an antisemitic stabbing on the Upper West Side. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also addressed the violence, declaring that the strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background.
Response from City Leadership and Broader Safety Context
Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that he had been briefed on the stabbings and released a statement condemning the violence. These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,
Mamdani wrote, expressing relief that both victims are in stable condition at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital.
Some critics pointed out that city officials posted about other administrative initiatives before addressing the midday stabbings.
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