Man Held Without Bail After Random Blade Attack at Manhattan Transit Hub

A 51-year-old defendant faces multiple felony charges following a Sunday rampage at Penn Station where five individuals were knifed and two others struck.

Man Held Without Bail After Random Blade Attack at Manhattan Transit Hub

A defendant accused of wounding five people with a knife and punching two others during a Sunday afternoon outburst at Penn Station was ordered held without bail at his Friday court appearance.

Hector Deleon, 51, stands accused of seven attempted murder counts, five assault charges, and six attempted assault counts stemming from the incident at the Midtown transportation center. Prosecutors say the attacks were unprovoked and appeared to target strangers at random.

The most seriously hurt individual was stabbed in the head, with the weapon penetrating the skull and damaging the left temporal lobe. That person sustained bleeding in the brain along with significant neurological trauma, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators believe the accused may have been intoxicated by drugs when the violence erupted. One of those attacked, a 60-year-old New Jersey commuter, told reporters he was punched in the face before noticing he had also been sliced. He said the attacker looked at him with intense fury and appeared intent on killing.

Warnings rang out from an escalator as bystanders spotted the weapon and shouted alerts to others in the vicinity.

Manhattan's top prosecutor issued a statement calling the episode terrifying and noting it occurred during an exceptionally crowded period at the station. He vowed to pursue consequences in the case while stressing the importance of stopping such unpredictable violent incidents.

The accused has been arrested at least seven times since 2008. Two years ago, he faced accusations in Newark of knifing a man in the neck with a blade measuring six inches. He admitted to aggravated assault in that matter and was sentenced to probation lasting two years.

Source: New York Post

Source: NY Post Metro