A peaceable Christmas Day turned grim at Grand Central Terminal when two vacationers, ladies aged 14 and 16 from South America, have been unexpectedly stabbed whereas consuming.
The assailant, recognized as 36-year-old Steven Hutcherson, made racially charged threats earlier than launching the assault, abc7NY reported.
The assault occurred round 11:25 a.m. within the Eating Concourse of Grand Central Terminal whereas the women have been eating with their mother and father. Following an altercation with the employees of Tartinery, who advised him he couldn’t sit within the restaurant’s space, Hutcherson redirected his rage in the direction of the younger vacationers.
Reportedly, Hutcherson exclaimed, “I need all of the white folks lifeless,” after which mentioned, “I need to sit subsequent to the crackers,” earlier than he superior in the direction of the victims with a knife.
Authorities responded instantly, apprehending Hutcherson in lower than a minute following the stabbings.
He now faces extreme expenses together with tried homicide, assault, felony possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a kid. Authorities are additionally contemplating hate crime expenses in opposition to him, in mild of the statements he made through the incident.
Each ladies have been promptly taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening accidents. The 16-year-old suffered a stab wound to her again, which barely injured her lung, whereas the 14-year-old was stabbed within the thigh.
The suspect has a historical past of arrests, with earlier expenses involving weapons possession and resisting arrest.
abc7NY reported:
He’s each recognized to each MTA police and NYPD as an emotionally disturbed particular person with an arrest file.
Hutcherson was arrested twice within the final six months for menacing folks with a gun within the Bronx.
He pleaded responsible in each his Nov. 7 and July 24 weapons possession arrests. He obtained a 15-day sentence within the first, and the second was a conditional discharge, which occurred at his residence. He additionally was issued a short lived restraining order in opposition to his sufferer.
Mayor Eric Adams mentioned Tuesday that he has not been briefed but, however that total subway crime is down.
“Any time you’ve incidents in these excessive profile places, it sends the sensation of individuals don’t really feel protected, that’s why we now have to verify we zero in, make the arrests as quickly as potential and ensure we get these repeat offenders off the streets,” Adams mentioned.