NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police arrested a suspect Friday in connection with two separate street stabbings, charging him with attempted murder and additional offenses, including hate crime charges tied to one of the victims — a Jewish man.
The suspect, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly shouted the Arabic phrase “Allahu akbar” while attacking two men in separate incidents Thursday afternoon on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, based on witness accounts relayed to police.
Authorities offered no immediate explanation Friday for why hate crime charges were applied in the case of the Jewish victim but not in the case of the second victim, who is of Asian descent. Morales was awaiting arraignment Friday, and prosecutors will ultimately determine the final charges he faces.
As officers escorted Morales from a police station Friday evening, he called out about seeking justice for someone. When members of the press asked him about the stabbings, he replied that he was “gonna talk about it” before being placed into a waiting police car.
It remained unclear Friday whether Morales had legal representation available to respond to the allegations against him.
The two stabbings took place roughly two blocks from each other on Thursday afternoon, police said. Both men were transported to a hospital and are anticipated to survive their injuries. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated Thursday that investigators had found no known connection between Morales and either victim.
The Asian American Foundation, an advocacy organization based in New York, said the attacks “underscore the persistent safety challenges” confronting Asian Americans in the city, citing a pattern of mistreatment ranging from harassment to physical violence.
“We demand continued, meaningful investment in community safety and hate prevention that protects everyone,” the organization said in a written statement.
According to police data, hate crimes across New York City have been climbing 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 recorded in the city so far this year had targeted Jewish individuals.
Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed disgust over Thursday’s attacks and reaffirmed the state’s solidarity with both its Jewish and Asian communities.
“Asian New Yorkers, like Jewish New Yorkers, have endured waves of hate-fueled violence in recent years,” she wrote in a post on X. “Hate rarely stops with one group. New York will continue confronting it wherever it appears.”
