A Bronx man is facing hate crime charges of attempted murder and assault after allegedly stabbing two teenage girls at Grand Central Station on Christmas Day, during which he reportedly expressed a desire for “all white people dead,” as reported by the New York Post.
The incident unfolded at the bustling Grand Central Terminal in New York City during the late morning hours of the holiday. The alleged assailant, identified as 36-year-old Steven Hutcherson, also known as Esteban Esono-Asue, targeted two young visitors from Paraguay who were dining with their parents in the terminal’s concourse, according to The New York Times.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials and court records suggest that the attack stemmed from a confrontation at Tartinery, a restaurant within the terminal. Following a request by an employee to leave the establishment, Hutcherson reportedly responded, “I’ll leave. I don’t want the white man to get you.”
Despite initially agreeing to leave, Hutcherson later requested to be seated again, which an employee granted. However, during this time, he made derogatory comments, stating, “I don’t want to sit with the Black people. I want to sit with the crackers.”
Moments later, according to the complaint, Hutcherson got up, approached the table of the victims, pulled out a knife from his pocket, and stabbed the elder sibling in the back. The 16-year-old sister suffered a stab wound to the back, with the blade piercing her lung, while her 14-year-old sibling sustained an injury to her leg as they attempted to escape. Both were promptly rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where the elder sister received treatment for her collapsed lung.
Nearby police officers swiftly apprehended Hutcherson, making the arrest “less than one minute” after the incident, according to the MTA. He was subsequently taken into custody, arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, and faces charges including attempted murder and assault as a hate crime. The judge ordered his detention, as confirmed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Hutcherson, who has a history of 17 prior arrests and has been classified as an “emotionally disturbed person,” now faces serious legal consequences.
Representatives of the Legal Aid Society, responsible for Hutcherson’s Bronx case, have declined to comment on the latest charges, as reported by the Times.
