Person of interest questioned in multiple stabbings across NYC
Update: Charges were filed overnight against suspect Jermain Rigueur. Click here for the latest.
NEW YORK - A person of interest is being questioned after at least five people were stabbed at random across New York City in the span of nine days.
Three of the attacks happened Wednesday morning in Springfield Gardens. Additional attacks took place Tuesday and on Jan. 8.
"We have an unidentified individual who's walking around the street randomly stabbing people with a hunting knife. There's no connection between individuals, and it seems to be unprovoked," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
Police sources tell us the suspect had a lanyard around his neck with his work ID on it while committing some of the crimes.
At this time, no charges have been filed.
The stabbing spree, police said, stretches back to Jan. 8. At 6:20 p.m., a 61-year-old man was stabbed in the lower back at 137th Avenue and 157th Street.
"In this incident, the suspect actually laughed in the victim's face after he stabbed him," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
On Tuesday, a 34-year-old woman was stabbed at 158th Street and 134th Avenue while she was coming home from work.
"A male suddenly ran up behind her, and she describes being punched in the back, but she soon realizes that she was stabbed in her right side," Kenny said. "She describes him speaking gibberish to himself."
Wednesday morning, there were two stabbings back-to-back near Guy Brewer Boulevard at 134th Avenue. The victims were a 41-year-old man and a 74-year-old man. The older victim was helped by Bruce An, who owns a dry cleaning shop nearby.
"Around 7:30 a.m., one old guy walking in the store, and he needed help," An said. "I pick up the phone and I called 911... Later, the cops came in, and they opened his jacket, and behind it there was a lot of blood on his clothes. And then ambulance came."
The fifth and final incident took place at Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue. The victim got into an altercation with the suspect over a seat on the bus. The two then got off the bus, and the suspect stabbed the victim.
Police are taking a close look at similar crime in Brooklyn. Wednesday, a 28-year-old man on a J subway train was stabbed by a man police say matches the description in the Queens cases.
All the people attacked are expected to survive.
Police say a recent stabbing on a J train in Williamsburg has not been linked to this person of interest, but they are looking into it.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on X, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
