A Bronx man is facing hate crime charges after allegedly stabbing two teenage girls visiting New York City from South America at Grand Central Terminal on Christmas morning.
The 36-year-old suspect, identified as Steven Hutcherson, uttered an anti-white slur shortly before the attack, according to a complaint cited by The New York Times. Hutcherson, identified in the complaint by another name he uses, Esteban Esono-Asue, is said to have argued with staff at a restaurant about seating him before telling an employee he wanted to sit “with the crackers.”
Hutcherson then allegedly got up from his table and approached a family seated nearby, stabbing a 16-year-old girl in the back, nicking her lung, and then stabbing a 14-year-old in the thigh.
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Hutcherson has been charged with attempted murder and assault as hate crimes, along with criminal possession of a weapon and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
He allegedly made multiple statements about the victims sitting in the concourse and said “I want all the white people dead” before pulling out a knife. MTA authorities rushed to the scene. According to the New York Post, the girls were taken to Bellevue Hospital, and a hotel worker reported that they were released later that day.
Hutcherson is reportedly known to police surrounding his mental health and has 17 prior arrests. In the last six months, Hutcherson has been arrested twice and threatened authorities with a gun on both occasions despite not carrying a gun. On Nov. 7, he was arrested for threatening to shoot a stranger in the Bronx, the Post added.
Mayor Eric Adams has not been briefed on the incident, but did comment on subway crime saying, “Any time you have incidents in these high profile locations, it sends the feeling of people don't feel safe, that's why we have to make sure we zero in, make the arrests as soon as possible and make sure we get those repeat offenders off the streets.”
