Raul Morales, the suspect charged in two Manhattan stabbings
Noman Sabit: The man accused of stabbing two people while allegedly yelling "Allahu Akbar" on Manhattan's Upper West Side Thursday afternoon has been charged with attempted murder, including hate crime counts tied to one of the victims, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD). During a perp walk Friday afternoon, Raul Morales, 51, could be heard yelling "Justice for the Romero family" to reporters, mentioning an unknown woman by name, and vowing, "you're going to remember her name forever."
It is unclear who the woman is, and what the possible significance is of the remarks.
According to the NYPD, Morales was being transported to Downtown Manhattan for central booking following the perp walk. Morales is charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the stabbing of a 57-year-old Asian man, the NYPD confirmed.
In the attack on a 50-year-old Jewish man, Morales is charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Morales' roommate told the New York Post that the 51-year-old calmly told him he was "just going for a walk in the park" before leaving the apartment Thursday. The roommate said Morales did not appear angry or agitated before the attacks.
Neighbors who knew Morales said they were shocked by the allegations. Several residents told the New York Post they had never seen him display violent or erratic behavior in the years they had known him. Police said the stabbings appeared to be separate attacks that happened near each other Thursday afternoon on the Upper West Side.
Authorities said there was no known connection between Morales and either victim or between the two victims.
Investigators also executed a search warrant Friday at Morales' Upper West Side apartment as they continued to piece together a possible motive for the attacks. Police have not publicly disclosed what, if anything, was recovered during the search.
According to police, Morales allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during the attacks. The NYPD is investigating whether bias played a role.
One victim is Jewish, while the other is Asian, police said. Both victims were taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Police said initial findings suggest mental health may have been a factor in the attacks, though Morales had no known mental health history with the NYPD.
The New York Post, citing law enforcement sources, reported Morales previously served about two years in state prison on drug charges in the early 1990s and remained on probation for much of that decade. The outlet also reported Morales had at least two prior drug-possession arrests and five sealed arrests. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the attacks as "hateful and despicable," while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was "disgusted" by what appeared to be another attack targeting the Jewish community.
