Penn Station stabbing suspect Hector Deleon indicted on 7 counts of attempted murder

Hector Deleon, 51, pleaded not guilty Monday to an 18-count indictment over a June 7 stabbing spree at Penn Station that injured seven people.

Penn Station slasher pleads not guilty as court documents detail victims' attempts to fight back

Hector Deleon, 51, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday in beige prison garb and pleaded not guilty to an 18-count indictment — including seven counts of attempted murder — stemming from a June 7 stabbing spree at Penn Station that left seven people injured, NY Post Metro reports.

Court documents filed by the Manhattan District Attorney's office reveal that two of Deleon's victims, ages 60 and 42, actively tried to resist the attack but were unable to stop him inside the busy Midtown transit hub.

According to the indictment, Deleon entered the NJ Transit area of the station and first slashed a man in the throat, then immediately stabbed a woman in the chest. He then encountered Henry Obadiah, 60, who attempted to fend him off — but Deleon drove his blade into Obadiah's left temple.

After stabbing two more victims, Deleon came upon a 42-year-old man who raised his backpack as a shield. Deleon allegedly plunged a double-sided knife into the man's throat despite the effort.

Obadiah had previously told The Post he was on his way back to New Jersey when Deleon targeted him without warning. "The crazy guy locked his eyes on me and just roundhoused me! Clocked me right in the face and I was like, 'What the f–k?'" Obadiah said. He added that he heard someone on an escalator shout, "He's got a knife!" — and only later realized he had been slashed in the face.

Victims have described Deleon as having "rage in his eyes" during the attack.

Deleon has at least seven prior arrests, including a 2022 stabbing in Newark for which he received two years of probation. Sources told NY Post Metro he was still on probation at the time of the Penn Station attack.

His estranged wife, Waleska Morales, 48, told The Post the couple had been separated for three years due to domestic violence. "He hit me with the closed fist," Morales said, noting that Deleon had attempted to visit her roughly two weeks before the June 7 incident.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber ordered Deleon held without bail. He is awaiting a mental health evaluation.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a statement following the arraignment. "We will not accept this type of random violence anywhere in Manhattan," Bragg said, vowing to prevent similar attacks.

If convicted on the attempted murder charges, Deleon faces up to 25 years in prison. His next court date is set for July 27.

Source: NY Post Metro