New York City Police officers arrested a 51-year-old man accused of stabbing two men in separate attacks in the Upper West Side on Thursday. File Photo by File John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Authorities in New York City arrested a 51-year-old man on Thursday after two people were stabbed in separate attacks that police are investigating as potential hate crimes.
New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the victims in a statement as males, one Asian and the other Jewish. They were transported to Mt. Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital and are expected to live, she said.
Little information about the attacks has been made public. Tisch said they occurred in the city’s Upper West Side and that “a good Samaritan” had led police to where the perpetrator had been hiding.
Tisch identified the suspect as Raul Morales. According to the victims and witnesses, Morales is accused of yelling “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks.
“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive,” Tisch said in the social media statement.
“The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime.”
She added that while Morales has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation indicates mental health may have been a contributing factor to the attacks.
“At this time, there is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other,” she said.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he has been briefed on “today’s horrible stabbings” and was “relieved that both victims are in stable condition.”
“These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” he said in a statement.
According to the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard, the city has seen 146 hate crime incidents so far this year, resulting in 49 arrests. Of those incidents, 80 involved anti-Jewish bias.
The city had seen a stark increase in hate crimes targeting NYC’s Jewish community in recent years, though there was a slight dip in 2025.
While anti-Semitic incidents declined 3% in 2025 from 2024, they still accounted for 57% of all hate crimes reported in New York City last year, despite Jews making up about 10% of the city’s population, according to the NYPD.
“The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood regardless of their faith or identity,” NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin said in a statement following the Thursday attacks.
“We must remain united in condemning anti-Semitism and ensuring those responsible are held fully accountable.”
