Suspect for stabbing Asian man in New York City told authorities

The suspect in the stabbing of an Asian man in New York’s Chinatown walked into the New York County attorney’s office and admitted he had just “stabbed a guy in the neighborhood,” according to the Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Adam Johnson.

According to a criminal complaint, the suspect told authorities: “I stabbed this guy. If he dies, he dies. I don’t give a fuck,” upon his arrest.

“This is a strong case with video evidence, eyewitnesses and a confession from the accused,” Johnson said in a statement.

The suspect has been identified as Salman Muflihi, 23, from Brooklyn. Muflihi faces assault charges as well as one count of attempted second-degree murder and one count of criminal possession of a third-degree weapon.

“We are continuing to investigate and may incur additional charges if necessary,” Johnson said. Muflihi faces 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 courthouses. The incident happened around 6:20 p.m. Thursday, the New York Police Department said.

“Without any prior interaction, the accused approached the victim from behind, grabbed her shoulder and plunged the knife into her lower back,” Johnson said. As Muflihi fled from the scene, he said “I’m sorry,” an eyewitness told investigators.

The injured man said he “had never seen the accused and had no idea why he had attacked him,” according to Johnson.

The man was seriously injured. His liver was punctured and he suffered from heavy internal bleeding. Doctors at Bellevue Hospital removed one of his kidneys and adrenaline gland, Johnson said, adding the victim “is currently still in hospital in critical condition and may not survive. “.

“This case is every New Yorker’s worst nightmare… to be attacked by a complete, total stranger with a big knife for no reason,” Johnson said.

Muflihi’s bond was set at $ 500,000.

The knife incident came two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio and the police department’s Asia Hate Crimes Task Force Commander spoke of crimes targeting Asians in the city and elsewhere.

Since the pandemic, there have been 28 Covid-related hate crime incidents against Asians, and all but one involved Asian victims, said NYPD Assistant Inspector Stewart Loo, who heads the Hate Crimes Task Force in Asia, which was formed last year.

There have been two this year, he said. The year before the pandemic, there were three anti-Asian hate crimes. Loo and de Blasio said hate crimes are often underreported and encouraged victims to report them.

Generally, for an act of violence to be considered a Covid-related hate crime, there has to be something or a statement from the abuser, Loo said.

Prior to Muflihi’s confession to the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the New York Police Department’s hate crimes unit was investigating the attack, but their investigation ended when Muflihi surrendered and said the stabbing was not motivated by race or ethnicity, according to NBC New York.