Faith leaders call for Upper West Side stabbing to be prosecuted as hate crime: "We have to bring the temperatures down"
Community leaders are calling on prosecutors to investigate the double stabbing on the Upper West Side as a hate crime.
Two strangers were stabbed just blocks apart Thursday afternoon. A 57-year-old Asian man was stabbed in the back with a knife around 1:30 p.m. near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Then, a 50-year-old Jewish man was stabbed at the corner of 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
The suspect allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks, according to victim and witness statements.
He was identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales.
Both victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive.
"We have to bring the temperature down"
City, state and faith leaders addressed the attack Friday morning.
"Whether or not this attack is ultimately prosecuted as a hate crime, the impact is already being felt," said Mark Treyger, the Jewish Community Relations Council CEO.
Julie Menin, who is the city's first Jewish council speaker, touched on the legislation being created to combat antisemitism.
"The fact that we even have to do this kind of legislation is unacceptable. We cannot normalize what is happening in our city. We have to bring the temperatures down," she said.
UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein had a message for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
"We want the mayor to stop demonizing the only Jewish state, using the most vilifying rhetoric, focused solely on the only Jewish state and the supporters of it. Using language like 'monstrous,' using the most horrible, difficult language that inflames, that terrorizes, that causes people to do terrible things," he said.
Goldstein pointed to Mamdani's recent criticism of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The mayor recently posted a social media video calling for Netanyahu's arrest, calling him a war criminal.
The mayor condemned the attack on Thursday, calling the stabbings horrific.
"The NYPD's initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. They are also evaluating these stabbings as potential hate crimes. These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city," Mamdani wrote, in part.
What we know about the suspect
Police said Morales was found barricaded inside an apartment building after the attack. He eventually surrendered to officers before being taken into custody around 2:45 p.m.
Police said there is no known connection between Morales and either of the victims. Police sources told CBS News New York that the suspect has several prior arrests, including at least two drug-related cases.
The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is also investigating the stabbing.
Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement on social media Thursday saying she was "disgusted" by the attack.
"The strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background. Anyone who tries to tear that apart will be met with the full force of the law. New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always," she stated.
