NEW YORK — A 51-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly stabbing two people in separate attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in what New York City police are now investigating as possible hate crimes.
Raul Morales allegedly targeted an Asian man and a Jewish man in two distinct incidents that occurred just two blocks apart in broad daylight. Witnesses told police that Morales shouted the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks.
Both victims were transported to a hospital and are expected to make full recoveries.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators are working to establish a motive. She noted there was no known connection between Morales and either victim, and that early indications suggest mental health may have played a role in the violence.
As of Thursday evening, Morales remained in custody. It was not immediately known whether he had legal representation.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the attacks as “horrifying” and said he was relieved both victims were listed in stable condition. “These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” Mamdani wrote on the social media platform X.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also responded, saying she was disgusted by the attacks and reaffirming the state’s support for its Jewish and Asian communities. “Asian New Yorkers, like Jewish New Yorkers, have endured waves of hate-fueled violence in recent years,” she posted on X. “Hate rarely stops with one group. New York will continue confronting it wherever it appears.”
The attacks come amid a troubling trend in New York City, where hate crimes have been climbing in recent years even as overall violent crime rates have declined, according to police data. Commissioner Tisch noted in April that more than half of all confirmed hate crimes recorded in the city so far this year had targeted Jewish individuals.
