Penn Station stabbing suspect had prior arrests – NYP

The man accused of slashing five people with a dagger at New York’s Penn Station had a previous conviction in a similar stabbing case and was arrested again just weeks before Sunday’s attack, according to the New York Post.

Hector Deleon, 51, has not been formally charged and remains hospitalized under heavy sedation, the Post reported, citing law enforcement sources. He is accused of attacking five people inside Penn Station, one of the busiest transit hubs in the U.S.

The attack happened at about 7 p.m. on Sunday near West 33rd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, where emergency crews were called for reports of a person attacking multiple people at the station.

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said five civilians were injured. One of them suffered serious injuries, while two others were moderately injured and two had minor injuries. All five victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.

Amtrak Police launched a search after the incident and took a suspect into custody, Amtrak said in a statement. Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Deleon fought with officers and had to be sedated before he could be placed in an ambulance.

The Post reported that Deleon had at least seven prior arrests, including six in New Jersey, on allegations that included aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, drug possession, assault, domestic assault and criminal mischief.

Court records reviewed by the Post showed Deleon was arrested in 2022 after slashing a man in the neck in Newark, New Jersey. He was released on cashless bail in that case and later sentenced to two years of probation, according to the report.

Deleon was most recently arrested on May 22 in Long Branch, New Jersey, on theft and drug paraphernalia charges, according to the Post.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said after Sunday’s attack that five people were “senselessly attacked at Penn Station in an act of horrific violence.”

The stabbing happened a day before President Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. The arena sits above Penn Station.