A suspect in a double stabbing on New York City’s Upper West Side faces serious charges, including attempted murder as a hate crime. The incident involved two victims from different communities, both emphasizing the need for increased safety.
Charges in Double Stabbing
Raul Morales, 51, is charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime, and criminal possession of a weapon for attacking Moshe Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man. Police also charged Morales with criminal possession of a weapon, attempted murder, and assault in the attack on a 57-year-old Asian man. This charge does not include a hate crime designation.
Thankfully, both victims are expected to recover.
Details of the Incident
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that Morales allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during each attack. Morales resided near the crime scene, and a search of his home on Friday recovered a laptop and a bag of books, including the Quran and a book about Che Guevara. It remains unclear if these items belong to him. He shared his residence with other people.
A neighbor described Morales as quiet, mentioning he often ignored greetings. While he has no known mental health issues with the NYPD, the preliminary investigation suggests mental health might have influenced his actions. Morales has past criminal records, including two open drug arrests from 1991 and five sealed arrests.
Community Reactions
“It can’t go on like this,” stated Rabbi Yosie Levine, expressing a sentiment shared by many in the community.
Rabbi Yosie Levine, associated with the Jewish Center, noted he has known Grunhaus for ten years. Grunhaus, dedicated to his community, had been praying at the synagogue just before the attack.
“Moshe had just gotten up to leave at around 1:30 after having spent the whole morning and beginning of the afternoon with us, and for this to happen 200 feet from our synagogue is just, it’s almost hard to believe,” Levine commented.
He visited Grunhaus at the hospital, finding him alert and surrounded by friends and family. Levine remarked on the drastic impact of the incident, having never visited a stab or hate crime victim in his two-decade tenure as a rabbi. Grunhaus, who recently relocated to Florida, was in town briefly to resolve personal matters when the incident occurred.