Upper West Side double stabbing suspect arraigned on hate crime charges

The man who allegedly stabbed two people on New York's Upper West Side pleaded not guilty to hate crime charges Tuesday.

Raul Morales, 51, was in court for his alleged involvement in the antisemitic attack in July. He is facing a host of charges, including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault, all as hate crimes.

NYPD officials say Morales stabbed a 57-year-old Asian man before attacking Moshe Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man.

He allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Morales had no connection to either of the victims, officers said. 

Prosecutors said a search warrant revealed antisemitic texts on Morales' phone. 

"Raul Morales was allegedly motivated by antisemitism when he attacked two New Yorkers in broad daylight near two Upper West Side synagogues," said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 

Representatives of the city's Jewish, Muslim and Asian communities came together after the stabbings to denounce hate. 

"Please, I request everyone and all the interfaith community to always stand together. Hate against one of us is against all of us," said Mohammad Razvi, with the Council of Peoples Organization.

Many leaders also called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lower the temperature of his rhetoric critical of Israel.   

"No elected official is responsible for every act of hate, but every leader is responsible for helping shape the climate in which we all live," Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Mark Treyger previously said.  

Prosecutors said the first victim needed specialty surgery to remove the knife from his back, and Grunhaus was also hospitalized with serious injuries. They are both expected to recover.