NYC police investigating two Upper West Side stabbings as possible hate crimes

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is investigating two stabbings as possible hate crimes, police said Thursday. 

An Asian man and a Jewish man were injured in separate attacks, which occurred midday Thursday in the Upper West Side. Both men were transported to Mount Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries and are expected to recover, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.  

She said in a statement shared on social media Thursday that 51-year-old Raul Morales has been arrested for suspected connection to these stabbings and that Morales allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. 

A spokesperson with the NYPD’s public information office said that police responded to these attacks around 1:30 p.m. and that the victims were found “conscious and alert.” A 57-year-old man sustained a stab wound to his back, and a 50-year-old man was found with a wound on his chest, according to the spokesperson.

Tisch said the police department is investigating whether this was a potential hate crime or if mental........

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