Two people were stabbed in separate attacks on the Upper West Side on Thursday in incidents that are being evaluated as possible hate crimes, according to authorities.
Police said the stabbings happened around 1:30 p.m.
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Two people were stabbed in separate attacks on the Upper West Side on Thursday in incidents that are being evaluated as possible hate crimes, according to authorities
Police said the stabbings happened around 1:30 p.m.
Both victims were taken Mount Sinai-Luke’s Hospital and are expected to survive, authorities said
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said 51-year-old Raul Morales was arrested in connection with both incidents
The first victim, a 40-year-old man, was found conscious and alert with stab wounds to his chest near West 84th Street and Central Park West, according to police.
The NYPD said another victim, a 50-year-old man, was found nearby at West 86th Street. He also suffered a stab wound to his chest.
Both victims were taken Mount Sinai-Luke’s Hospital and are expected to survive, authorities said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said 51-year-old Raul Morales was arrested in connection with both incidents. It is unclear what he will be charged with at this time. Tisch added that no other people are being sought at this time.
This afternoon, two people were stabbed in separate attacks on the Upper West Side. Both victims — an Asian male and a Jewish male — were removed to Mt. Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital, and both are expected to survive.
The NYPD has arrested 51-year-old Raul Morales in connection…
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) July 23, 2026
The attacks are being investigated as hate crimes, according to authorities. One of the victims was Jewish and the other was Asian, according to both Tisch and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ during both attacks,” Tisch said in a post to X.
I have been briefed on today’s horrifying stabbings on the Upper West Side, where an Asian man and a Jewish man were attacked. According to witness and victim statements, the perpetrator yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. I am relieved that both victims are in stable… https://t.co/0LSGtvPojx
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 23, 2026
Both Tisch and Mamdani said an initial investigation determined that mental health “may have been a factor” in the incident.
Police said there is no known connection between Morales and the victims, or between the victims to each other.