A New York man was arrested in connection with two alleged hate crimes in the city after he stabbed the victims, with chants of “Allahu Akbar.” 51-year-old Raul Morales was arrested on Friday, July 24, first for stabbing an Asian man on Thursday on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Later, he was also charged with the assault and attempted murder of a Jewish man.
As per the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, he will be charged with two counts of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime; and one count each of first-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree assault as a hate crime, and attempted first-degree assault as a hate crime, per NBC News.
The Jewish victim had just gotten out of a synagogue
The prosecutor told the court that the accused first went up to a 57-year-old Asian man from behind and stabbed him after yelling, “Allahu Akbar.” Then, he kept walking and saw a Jewish man coming out of a synagogue in the area, wearing a kippah, their religious head cover.
Both victims were reportedly in a stable condition. New York City Comptroller Mark Levine later identified the two victims: the Asian man, Chok Sung, and the Jewish man, Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, per the outlet. However, there are no details on whether the victims knew each other or the accused.
NYC Mayor condemns hate violence and assures speedy justice
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemns hate crimes, but city leaders banded against the mayor for his stance against the Israeli PM. BY: MEGA
Cases of antisemitism and hate violence have been on the rise recently in the city. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani hailed the security officers and appreciated the quick response. “I am grateful to the officers for their swift response,” he wrote on X.
The mayor also suggested that the authorities were investigating the accused’s mental health involvement in the case. He added that every “New Yorker deserves to be safe, regardless of their religion or race. Our administration will always stand against bigotry and do everything in our power to root out antisemitism, racism, and hateful acts of all kinds.”
Communities stood together against hate crimes
Jewish and Asian communities stood together to protest against growing hate crimes in the city. BY: MEGA
The Jewish and Asian communities stood in solidarity with victims. New York Attorney General Letitia James stated that cases of hatred and antisemitic actions have been on the increase in the city, per FOX 5 New York. The Jewish community also criticized the mayor for his speeches against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine informed the media that though the Jewish population is not more than 12% in the city, they suffer more than 50% of hate crimes. The accused can be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison, as his next hearing is scheduled for July 30.