Two men, a 57-year-old Asian man and a 50-year-old Jewish man, were stabbed in separate daylight attacks near Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on July 23, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The assaults took place about two blocks apart near 84th to 86th Streets and Central Park West [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Raul Morales, 51, was arrested the same day and charged with two counts of second-degree attempted murder and multiple assault charges, some classified as hate crimes [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]. Morales reportedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. One victim was stabbed in the back with a knife and the other in the torso with a screwdriver [1, 4, 5, 6]. A witness also reported seeing Morales near a synagogue on West 83rd Street declaring "justice for Islam" [4].
Both victims were taken to Mount Sinai hospital and remained in stable condition, expected to survive [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Nava Silton, an acquaintance of one victim, said, "It is incredibly scary and he's just praying the condition doesn't get worse. He had to pull the screwdriver out of his body." [5]
Police said no clear connection has been found between Morales and the victims or between the victims themselves [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, "While the perpetrator has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor." [1]
Authorities found Morales’ apartment contained religious and political materials including two Qurans, a Jehovah's Witness Bible, and a book on Che Guevara and Marx [4]. Morales had worked as a security guard and served two years in state prison on drug charges in the 1990s [4]. During his July 24 arraignment, Morales shouted to reporters, "Justice for the Romero family... you're going to remember her name forever." [6]
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the attacks as "hateful and despicable" and expressed relief both victims are stable, saying, "These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city." [1, 3] Governor Kathy Hochul also condemned the violence and reaffirmed support for Jewish and Asian communities in New York [3, 5]. Jewish leaders criticized Mayor Mamdani for rhetoric they say deepens divisions amid rising antisemitism concerns [7, 8]. Rabbi Yosie Levine said, "Jewish life in America is starting to feel like Jewish life in Europe. Armed guards, bulletproof glass, and the constant fear that yesterday's rhetoric will turn into today's assault." [7]
Morales was arraigned on July 24 on the charges filed against him. Investigators continue to examine the motive behind the attacks and whether they meet legal standards for hate crimes [4, 6].
