Side Upper Update and Why It Matters

We begin with breaking news on the Upper West Side stabbings. We he the suspect rather has just been walked out of the police precinct and charged with attempted murder as a hate crime among other things. The two stabbing victims come from two different communities with a shared sense that something must change to keep people safe. Allie Bellman begins our live coverage from the Upper West Side with the latest on where the case stands right now. Ally, Christine, and Jess, we've just learned that the suspect is being charged with attempted murder and assault for the attack on the Asian man and those same charges as hate crimes for the attack on the Jewish man. I spoke with that

victim's rabbi today who said a prayer this morning at his hospital bed. These are the synagogue pews where 50-year-old Mosha Grunhouse had been praying Thursday on one of the darkest days of the Jewish calendar. Moments before he was stabbed on the Upper West Side, Mosha had just gotten up to leave at around uh 1:30 after having spent the whole morning and beginning of the afternoon uh with us. And for this to happen 200 f feet from our synagogue is u is just um it's almost hard to believe. Rabbi Yosi Lavine visited Grunhouse at the hospital this morning. I was happy to see him. I was very relieved to uh see him alert and um in uh relatively good spirits all things considered. He's surrounded by uh by good friends and uh and family.

Police say minutes before Grunhouse was stabbed on 86th Street, a 57year-old Asian man was stabbed in the back with a knife near Central Park West. 51-year-old Raul Morales was swiftly arrested for both attacks after barricading himself inside a nearby apartment. According to authorities, Friday, detectives were seen going in and out of that building carrying evidence bags filled with books, including a Chay Gavara book and the Quran. I hope people feel safe in this community. Police Commissioner Jessica Tish says the suspect yelled Allah Akbar during both attacks. Morales has no known mental health history with the NYPD, but

Tish says the initial investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor. I would say in the 22 years that I've been uh serving as a rabbi in this community. I never visited with a stab victim in the hospital and I never visited with the victim of a hate crime. There's a real person whose whole life is turned upside down because of this. It uh it can't go on like this. It's intolerable. And again, that suspect, Raul Morales, was just walked from the police precinct in handcuffs on those charges. Expected to be arraigned possibly sometime tonight or tomorrow. We are told that both victims are expected to survive.

We're live on the Upper West Side, Ally Balman, CBS News, New York. All right, Ally, thank you. Representatives of the Jewish, Muslim, and Asian communities all came together today to denounce hate. And they're also calling on Mayor Mumdani to lower the temperature of his anti-Israel rhetoric. Political reporter Marshia Kramer is here now with more on that. Marcia. Okay, Jay and Jo. The message of the day is that words matter. They can put ideas in people's heads, and they're looking to Mayor Mandani to stop his anti-Israel crusade as a key step in a city where hate crimes are increasing. His video

message about the prime minister was political grandstanding. Shame on him for doing this for perceived political benefit when it has realworld consequence for the Jews of New York. He must stop. Eric Goldstein of the United Jewish Appeals slamming Mayor Mdani's monthslong crusade against Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his words have contributed to a climate of hate in New York City. No elected official is responsible for every act of hate, but every leader is responsible for helping shape the climate in which we all live. But it wasn't just Jewish leaders.

Public advocate Jamani Williams and Attorney General Tish James join Muslim leaders and members of the Asian community to decry the stabbing of a 57year-old Asian man and a 50year-old Jewish man. Please, I request everyone and all the interfaith community to always stand together. Hate against one of us is against all of us. We cannot allow anyone to divide us by race, religion or eth ethnic. We must speak out against anti-semitism, anti-Asian hate.

Rabbi Yosi Lavine is the rabbi of the Jewish center where the Jewish victim prayed just before he was attacked. If a Jew can't feel safe walking home from Shul in broad daylight on a Thursday afternoon on the upper west side of Manhattan, then something has gone profoundly wrong, not only for the Jewish community, but for our city. Mayor Manni did not address his monthslong campaign, threatening to arrest the Israeli prime minister, but he did decry hate. There's no tolerance for anti-semitism or hatred of any kind in this city. This is a city that believes in the beauty and the breath of all of its five burrows and everyone who calls it home. And when anyone is perpetrating that

kind of a bigotry, that kind of a hatred, they will be held fully accountable in this city. But Israel's council general, Afirkunis, wasn't buying it. He slammed the mayor saying, quote, "This pattern is too familiar and echoes Europe 100 years ago. Incitement always promotes and encourages physical violence, guys." All right, Marcia Kramer, thank you. And stay with us for continuing coverage on the investigation into the double stabbing. We'll bring you updates on air and online at cbsnew york.com.