A 19-year-old Australian tourist was stabbed and seriously wounded in an unprovoked attack at a Midtown Manhattan McDonald’s early Monday, police and law enforcement sources said.
The victim was sitting and eating inside the fast-food eatery on Eighth Avenue near Penn Station around 2 a.m. when he was stabbed in the rib cage and the back, the sources said.
The NYPD at the scene of where a 19-year-old Australian tourist was stabbed inside of a Midtown McDonald’s on Aug. 17, 2026. Robert Mecea for New York Post
Police officers investigating the stabbing inside the McDonald’s restaurant on 8th Ave. and 35th St. in Manhattan. Robert Mecea for New York Post
Words were exchanged between the victim and his attacker, but sources said the horrifying attack was largely unprovoked.
Police arrested 25-year-old Juan Mercedes at the scene and charged him with second-degree assault.
Mercedes, who is from Port Charlotte, Fla., was in custody pending arraignment later on Monday.
The tourist, who was not immediately identified, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and listed in stable condition.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.