Man who stabbed 2 near New York’s Central Park yelled ‘Allahu Akbar,’ police say

A man accused of stabbing two people near Manhattan’s Central Park on Thursday reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” during the attacks, the city’s police commissioner said. The stabbings on the Upper West Side occurred at around 1:31 p.m. and both victims, who are adult men, were stable at a hospital and expected to survive, the New York Police Department said. Raul Morales, 51, was arrested, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement on X. “Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ during both attacks,” she said in the statement. “The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime.” One of the victims is Asian and the other is Jewish, Tisch said. Tisch also said that while Morales does not have a known mental health history with police, “the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor.” A bystander led police to where Morales was hiding, Tisch said, and she described that person as a good Samaritan. There was no evidence Wednesday that either victim knew each other or Morales, she said. The attacks happened about two blocks apart, according to police. The first was at 84th Street and Central Park West, and the second was at 86th and Central Park West, police said. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the stabbings. He said he was grateful the victims were stable and he thanked police officers. “The NYPD’s initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. They are also evaluating these stabbings as potential hate crimes,” Mamdani said in a statement. “These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” he said. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the attack, and said, “The strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background.”