The suspect in the stabbing of an Asian man in New York City’s Chinatown entered the New York County District Attorney’s office and admitted that he had just “stabbed a guy on the block,” according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Adam Johnson .
According to a criminal complaint, the suspect said to the authorities, “I stabbed that guy. If he dies, he dies. I don’t give a damn”, while processing his arrest.
“This is a strong case with video evidence, eye witnesses and a defendant’s confession,” Johnson said in a statement.
The suspect was identified as Salman Muflihi, 23, from Brooklyn. Muflihi faces charges of assault, as well as one charge of attempted second-degree murder and another charge of criminal possession of a third-degree weapon.
“We are continuing to investigate and may bring additional charges if necessary,” said Johnson. Muflihi faces up to a minimum of 5 years in state prison and a maximum of 25 years.
Muflihi is accused of stabbing a 36-year-old man who was walking on the sidewalk at the intersection of Worth and Baxter Streets, near federal courts. The incident occurred around 6:20 pm on Thursday, the New York Police Department said.
“Without any previous interaction, the Defendant approached the victim from behind, grabbed his shoulder and stuck the knife in his back,” said Johnson. As Muflihi fled the scene, he said, “I’m sorry,” a witness told investigators.
The injured man said he “never saw the defendant and had no idea why he attacked him”, according to Johnson.
The man sustained substantial injuries. His liver was punctured and he suffered major internal bleeding. Doctors at Bellevue Hospital removed one of his kidneys and his adrenaline gland, Johnson said, adding that the victim “is still in the hospital in critical condition and may not survive”.
“This case is every New Yorker’s worst nightmare … being attacked by a complete and total stranger with a big knife for no reason,” said Johnson.
Muflihi’s bail was set at $ 500,000.
The stabbing incident came two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio and the commander of the Asian Department’s Crime Hate Crime Force spoke about crimes against Asians in the city and elsewhere.
Since the pandemic, there have been 28 incidents of hate crimes related to Covid against Asians, and all but one have involved Asian victims, said NYPD Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo, who heads the Asian Hate Crime Task Force, formed last year.
There have been two this year, he said. In the year before the pandemic, there were three anti-Asian hate crimes. Loo and de Blasio said that hate crimes are often underreported and encouraged victims to report them.
Generally, for a violent act to be considered a hate crime related to Covid, there must be something said or a statement from the attacker, said Loo.
Prior to Muflihi’s confession in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the New York Police Department’s hate crime unit was investigating the attack, but its investigation ended when Muflihi surrendered and said the stabbing was not motivated. by race or ethnicity, according to NBC New York.
