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‘Allahu Akbar’ stabbing suspect’s unsettling perp-walk rant adds new mystery: ‘You’re going to remember her name forever’

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BS BRIEF

  • The biggest new development: The man accused of stabbing two strangers while allegedly yelling “Allahu Akbar” shocked reporters during his perp walk Friday by shouting, “Justice for the Romero family,” before adding, “You’re going to remember her name forever.” Authorities have not explained who he was referring to or whether the statements are connected to the attacks.
  • Prosecutors also expanded hate-crime charges to cover both victims—not just the visibly Jewish victim originally identified in the case. They allege Raul Morales shouted “Allahu Akbar” three times and repeatedly referenced “justice for Islam” during the attacks.
  • A Manhattan judge ordered Morales held without bail and directed he undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He now faces attempted murder and hate-crime charges carrying a potential sentence of up to 40 years if convicted.

SUSPECT’S BIZARRE PERP-WALK RANT ADDS NEW MYSTERY TO NYC HATE-CRIME STABBINGS

The man accused of stabbing two strangers in broad daylight on Manhattan’s Upper West Side while allegedly shouting “Allahu Akbar” is now at the center of an even deeper mystery after making a series of cryptic remarks during his perp walk that investigators have yet to explain.

As reporters shouted questions Friday, 51-year-old Raul Morales suddenly yelled, “Justice for the Romero family,” before adding another unsettling statement: “You’re going to remember her name forever.”

Authorities have not identified the woman Morales referenced, have not explained who the “Romero family” is, and have not said whether either statement has any connection to Thursday’s attacks.

Those remarks came just hours after prosecutors dramatically expanded the criminal case against Morales, charging him with hate crimes in both Upper West Side stabbings and convincing a judge to hold him without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Prosecutors allege Morales randomly attacked two men who had no connection to one another shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday near Central Park West.

One victim, 57-year-old Chok Sung, was allegedly standing on the sidewalk looking at an iPad when Morales came up behind him and stabbed him in the back with a knife.

Minutes later, prosecutors say Morales encountered Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, 50, who had just left Tisha B’Av services at The Jewish Center on West 86th Street while wearing a kippah. Morales allegedly stabbed him in the chest with a screwdriver.

Both men survived and remain hospitalized in stable condition.

According to prosecutors, Morales repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attacks and also made statements about “justice for Islam.” Police initially announced hate-crime charges only in connection with the attack on Grunhaus, but prosecutors have now expanded those allegations to include the assault on Sung as well, saying both attacks were random and bias-motivated.

Morales now faces two counts of attempted murder, along with assault and attempted-assault charges enhanced as hate crimes. If convicted, he could receive as much as 40 years in prison.

Investigators say Morales did not know either victim. Witnesses followed him after the second attack, allowing officers to arrest him roughly 90 minutes later after he entered a nearby apartment building. Police recovered a knife and screwdriver believed to have been used in the assaults and later searched his apartment.

The suspect’s courtroom appearance only added to the unanswered questions.

After shouting about “justice for Islam” during the alleged attacks, Morales pivoted to his bizarre comments about the Romero family during the perp walk, leaving investigators with an increasingly confusing series of statements that authorities have yet to connect.

Inside the courtroom, Morales briefly turned toward his mother and mouthed, “I love you, Mom,” prompting her to cry as deputies escorted him away.

A roommate later told the New York Post that Morales appeared perfectly calm before leaving home Thursday, saying only that he was “just going for a walk in the park.” Neighbors similarly told reporters they had never witnessed violent or erratic behavior from him in the past.

Police have not disclosed a documented history of mental illness involving Morales, though the court has ordered a psychiatric evaluation. Prosecutors have not suggested that mental illness would preclude a hate-crime prosecution, noting that the two issues are not mutually exclusive.

City leaders quickly condemned the attacks.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the violence “hateful and despicable,” while Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “disgusted” by what appeared to be another targeted attack against a Jewish New Yorker.

Some Jewish leaders, however, argued the mayor’s response was insufficient and renewed criticism of his past rhetoric surrounding Israel, saying City Hall must do more to confront the climate of antisemitism in New York.

For prosecutors, the case now centers on proving Morales intentionally selected his victims because of their identities. For investigators, another mystery remains unresolved:

What did Raul Morales mean when he shouted, “Justice for the Romero family”… and who, exactly, was he talking about?

This structure gets the new news into the first paragraph, keeps the article moving, and saves the background for later instead of making readers wait several hundred words before reaching the fresh development. It also gives the story a stronger narrative hook while preserving the reporting.

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