NEW YORK – There are new concerns about safety in Times Square after two attacks were reported just hours and blocks apart Thursday.
Nearly a dozen people are in custody stemming from the separate attacks.
The first took place around 5:30 p.m. Thursday on 42nd Street near Eighth Avenue.
Police said a 17-year-old was stabbed in the back. He was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition.
Seven people were taken into custody in that incident, and police are still looking for several others.
Investigators said a dispute broke out moments before the attack, which did not appear to be random. A large knife was recovered from the scene.
“I saw someone running, and cops followed him. Some of the cops jumped and caught him and arrested him. Other guys coming from the back, there was blood from the back,” one witness told CBS New York.
About two hours later, another dispute turned violent just blocks away on 43rd Street near Broadway.
Police said a 28-year-old man was punched and kicked in the head multiple times by a group of teenagers.
Three suspects, ranging in age from 14 to 16 years old, were also taken into custody. The victim is now recovering from minor injuries.
Investigators said the incidents do not appear to be connected.
Charges are expected to be filed later Friday.
Anyone with information about either case is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
- In:
- Manhattan
- Times Square
- Midtown
