Upper West Side double-stabbing suspect in custody after barricading himself in apartment, police say

A suspect is in custody after double stabbings in broad daylight on the Upper West Side that left two men hospitalized, police said Thursday. They're investigating whether the attacks were a potential hate crime.

According to victim and witness statements, the suspect yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks, police said, adding that mental health issues may have been a factor.

2 men stabbed

Police say the attacks began around 1:30 p.m. when a 57-year-old Asian man was stabbed in the back with a knife near West 84th Street and Central Park West.

"He was crouching. There was a knife sticking out of him, and he looked very stoic. That's the word," witness Marianna Ellenberg said. "'Cause he was just trying to not move until help came."

A short time later, police say a 50-year-old Jewish man was stabbed at the corner of 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Police sources say investigators recovered a screwdriver believed to have been used in the attack.

Both men are expected to survive.

Potential motive in double stabbing

Investigators say the suspect then walked a few blocks to an apartment building on Amsterdam Avenue, where he barricaded himself inside.

The NYPD's Emergency Service Unit made contact with him, and after a brief negotiation, they took him into custody around 2:45 p.m.

The man arrested has since been identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales.

In a social media post, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, in part: "Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled 'Allahu Akbar' during both attacks. The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime. While the perpetrator has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor."

Police said the victims do not know each other, and there is no known connection between Morales and either of the victims.  

Police sources tell CBS News New York the suspect has seven prior arrests, including at least two drug-related cases.

Neighbors concerned

New York State Assemblyman Micah Lasher said neighbors are shaken.

"I am hearing from constituents. People are upset. People are concerned, understandably," he said. "We're all, I think, right now focused on praying for the victims and their survival and recovery."

"It's an anomaly. It's not the norm," one Upper West Side resident said. "If it's two people stabbed, you know, four blocks apart or whatever, my feeling is it's somebody with issues or something like that who's running around doing this."

"I'm feeling uneasy. It feels uneasy to know that you have to be vigilant all the time, even in your own neighborhood, and there's a lot of families here, a lot of kids, and where can you be safe now?" one woman said.

Menashe Shapiro, who lives just blocks away from the scene of one of the stabbings and once served as former Mayor Eric Adams' deputy chief of staff, says the Jewish victim had just left a synagogue up the street when he was attacked.

"People want to live as Jews as they always have, and now they feel like they can't," Shapiro said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that he had been briefed on the stabbings, including reports the suspect yelled "Allahu Akbar."

"These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city," he wrote, in part.

The mayor said he was relieved the victims were in stable condition and is grateful to the officers for their swift response.