NYC attacker stabs two men near Central Park, yells ‘Allahu Akbar’, witnesses recall attack: ‘knife was sticking out..’

Manhattan Stabbings: Raul Morales Arrested After Yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ During Two Attacks

Theindiapostdaily.com – Police in New York City arrested a 51-year-old man on Thursday following two separate knife attacks on the Upper West Side. Raul Morales allegedly assaulted an Asian man and a Jewish man, shouting the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar” during each incident. Both victims survived and were hospitalized in stable condition.

The Two Incidents

The stabbings occurred approximately two blocks apart during daylight hours. Around 1:30 p.m., Morales jumped a 57-year-old Asian man near West 84th Street and Central Park West, stabbing him in the back with a knife. Witnesses described the scene as surreal, with the victim kneeling and the blade protruding from his back.

Later that afternoon, a 50-year-old Jewish man wearing a yarmulke was attacked after departing a synagogue at Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street. He sustained a stab wound to his torso from a screwdriver. The man had been leaving Tisha B’Av services when the assault took place.

“He was entirely like this [kneeling on his knees], and the knife was sticking out his back. He was just like kind of so stoic,” said Marianna Ellenberg, who witnessed the first attack. “We saw her [his wife] covering her mouth. She was just scared.”

Arrest and Hospitalization

Both victims were transported to Saint Luke’s Hospital, where police confirmed they were in stable condition. Morales was apprehended around 2:45 p.m. after allegedly barricading himself inside a New York City Housing Authority apartment on Amsterdam Avenue near West 88th Street.

At the time of the arrest, it remained unclear whether Morales had legal representation available to speak publicly about the case.

Investigation Underway

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that investigators are examining multiple potential motives. While the NYPD is evaluating whether the incidents constitute a hate crime, Tisch noted that initial findings suggest mental health concerns may have played a role.

“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled ‘Allahu Akbar,’ meaning, ‘God is the greatest’ in Arabic, during both attacks,” Tisch explained.

There is currently no known connection between Morales and either victim. Tisch added that the department is actively working to establish a clear motive for the attacks.

Witness Accounts

Nava Silton, who was conversing with the second victim inside the Jewish Center on West 86th Street before the assault, described how she ran outside and spoke with bystanders who heard the suspect shouting “Allah Akbar.”

“The perpetrator tried to act like a normal person and that he wasn’t involved and muttering someone should call 911. Literally pretending he was not culpable,” Silton told reporters. She noted that the victim told her “someone drove a screwdriver into the right side of his chest and yelled something,” though she did not catch the exact words.

Silton described the victim as “an incredible person” who was conscious and speaking despite his injuries.

Political Response

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the incidents, calling them “horrifying” and expressing relief that both men survived.

“These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” Mamdani wrote on the social media platform X.

State Governor Kathy Hochul also responded, stating she was “disgusted” by the attacks and emphasizing solidarity with New York’s Jewish and Asian communities.

“Asian New Yorkers, like Jewish New Yorkers, have endured waves of hate-fuelled violence in recent years,” Hochul posted on X. “Hate rarely stops with one group. New York will continue confronting it wherever it appears.”

According to police data, hate crimes in New York City have increased in recent years even as overall violent crime rates have declined. Commissioner Tisch noted in April that more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in the city that year targeted Jewish residents.