Man Accused Of Stabbing 2 New York City MoMa Employees Arrested In Philadelphia, Also Accused Of Arson At Center City Best Western
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A man wanted for a violent attack in New York City's Museum of Modern Art has been arrested in Philadelphia. Police found him at the Greyhound bus terminal in Chinatown.
Philadelphia police believe the same man is connected to an arson that happened here at a Center City Best Western hotel.
Crews worked to clean up smoke and fire damage at the Best Western Tuesday after officials responded to a fire on the fifth floor Monday night. It forced the building's evacuation and alarmed the neighborhood.
"I saw a bunch of people and fire alarms going on," Center City resident Jonathon Zou said.
"It was like really loud," Carla Riley said.
Philadelphia police believe the fire was arson and say the suspect behind it is the same man New York City police say was involved in a violent attack at the Museum of Modern Art.
After putting out suspect description and stepping up patrols, @PhillyPolice say they found the suspect sleeping on a bench at the Greyhound bus station in Philadelphia's Chinatown. They say he did not resist arrest and is cooperating with the investigation pic.twitter.com/0ngvUS3GOi
— Ross DiMattei CBS-3 (@RossDiMattei) March 15, 2022
Over the weekend, the NYPD released surveillance video of a man seen hopping over a counter before stabbing a man and a woman multiple times. The victims are in stable condition.
The NYPD identified the suspect as 60-year-old Gary Cabana and sent an alert to other police departments to be on the lookout.
Fast forward to Monday night. Police and firefighters in Philadelphia were called to the Best Western in Center City on the 1200 block of Vine Street around 6 p.m. for reports of a fire inside a room on the fifth floor. They were able to put it out, but not before doing extensive damage.
Fire investigators determined it was the result of arson. After checking surveillance video and hotel records, police found out it was started by the same man accused of stabbing the two Museum of Modern Art workers in Manhattan a few days ago.
"We got information that this individual was also suicidal and was suffering from some mental health issues," Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "So we realized that he was possibly armed and very dangerous."
It wasn't long after releasing the suspect's description that officers in Philadelphia found the man sleeping on a bench inside a Greyhound bus station. Police say Cabana was likely on his way to see a relative in Florida.
"I'm proud of the fact that our officers were on it," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
The suspect reportedly told the arresting officers that Philly police are "the best cops in the United States."
"I think it's a little bit of sunshine at the end of a really terrible ordeal," Outlaw said.
The NYPD is still investigating a motive for the museum attack but says the suspect was a member at the museum who recently had his membership revoked.
New York officials also call the arrest in Philadelphia good police work.
"Nothing in our profession is accomplished alone. Thank you, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and the Philadelphia Police Department," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewel said.
The cleanup from the arson continues Tuesday at the Best Western but the hotel told CBS3 in a statement: "… all hotel guests and staff were safely evacuated, and the hotel has been able to stay open to continue serving our valued guests."
CBS3's Ross DiMattei and Matt Petrillo contributed to this report.