- Raul Morales, 51, was arrested after police said he carried out two unprovoked stabbing attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on July 23. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, detectives are investigating whether the attacks constitute hate crimes after victims and witnesses reported Morales yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both assaults.
- Police said Morales first stabbed a 57-year-old Asian man in the back near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Minutes later, he allegedly stabbed a 50-year-old man wearing a yarmulke in the torso with a screwdriver after the victim left Tisha B’Av services at the Jewish Center on West 86th Street. Both victims were hospitalized in stable condition.
- Authorities arrested Morales after he allegedly barricaded himself inside a nearby NYCHA apartment. Police recovered a knife and screwdriver following the arrest. Commissioner Tisch said investigators were continuing to determine motive, noting that “the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor,” while the NYPD evaluates the attacks as potential hate crimes.
Islamic Extremism