Two men were stabbed in separate, daylight attacks on Manhattan's Upper West Side near Central Park on Thursday. The first victim, a 57-year-old man, was stabbed in the back near West 84th Street and Central Park West around 1:30 p.m. Minutes later, a 50-year-old man was stabbed in the chest at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

Both victims were hospitalized in stable condition. A witness reported seeing the suspect enter a building on Amsterdam Avenue. Approximately an hour later, police arrested 51-year-old Raul Morales in connection with the assaults. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated on X that Morales allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" during both attacks.

The motive remains unclear, and the NYPD is investigating if the stabbings constitute a hate crime. One victim is Asian, and the other is Jewish. Tisch noted that Morales has no known mental health history with the NYPD, but initial findings suggest mental health might be a factor. There is no known connection between Morales and the victims, suggesting the attacks may have been random.