Man indicted for 2 hate crime stabbings near NYC synagogues
Raul Morales is charged with multiple counts of attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime and attempted assault as a hate crime.
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A man accused of stabbing two people near synagogues in the Upper West Side has been indicted, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Raul Morales is charged with multiple counts of attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime and attempted assault as a hate crime.
Prosecutors say the 51-year-old stabbed an Asian man in the back with a knife was he was walking on West 84th Street on July 23. He yelled “Allahu Akbar” before fleeing the scene on foot.
He stabbed a Jewish man in the chest with a screwdriver near West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue shortly after, according to authorities. A witness also heard him yell “Allahu Akbar” before taking off.
Both victims were hospitalized for treatment. The first victim required surgery to remove the knife lodged in his back.
Following Morales’ arrest, investigators say they also found antisemitic text messages on his phone.
