NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A suspect is in custody after he allegedly stabbed two men on the Upper West Side Thursday afternoon in what the NYPD is investigating as a potential hate crime, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
The commissioner announced the arrest of Raul Morales, 51, in the two attacks, which began just after 1 p.m.
The first victim, 57, was stabbed at 84th Street and Central Park West before the second man, 50, was attacked in front of the old West Park Presbyterian Church at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. One man was stabbed in the back, and the other in the chest, according to police.
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
While the NYPD is still investigating the motive, Tisch said that according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks.
The victims—one Asian man and one Jewish man—were taken to Mount Sinai Morningside and are expected to survive.
Morales was apprehended outside an apartment building at 88th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, and Tisch commended the bravery of "a good Samaritan who led our officers to the location where the perpetrator was hiding."
The suspect has no known mental health history with the NYPD, but the initial investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor, police said.
There is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other, authorities said.
The investigation is ongoing.
