Raul Morales, 51, was arrested in connection with two stabbings on Manhattan's Upper West Side, near Central Park, on July 23. The attacks occurred about two blocks apart, at 84th Street and Central Park West, and 86th Street and Central Park West. Both adult male victims were hospitalized in stable condition and are expected to survive. One victim is Asian and the other is Jewish, identified by New York City Comptroller Mark Levine as Chok Sung and Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, respectively.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that Morales allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks, leading the NYPD to evaluate whether these are potential hate crimes. Attorney General Letitia James advised against drawing immediate conclusions. The NYPD's initial investigation also suggests that mental health may have been a factor, though Morales reportedly has no known mental health history with the police. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the stabbings "horrifying" and emphasized that "hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city."
Morales was taken into custody after barricading himself in an apartment. A bystander, described as a "good Samaritan" by Commissioner Tisch, helped police locate the suspect. Authorities are working to determine a motive and have noted there's no evidence that Morales knew either victim, or that the victims knew each other. Police data indicate a rise in hate crimes in New York City, particularly targeting Jewish people, while overall violent crime rates have decreased. Rabbi Yosie Levine of the Jewish Center noted that Grunhaus was walking home from shul when he was attacked, just 200 feet outside the center.
