UMVA has learned that a brutal stabbing spree occurred Sunday night at New York City's Penn Station, leaving five innocent bystanders wounded and a community in shock.
The alleged attacker, 51-year-old Hector Deleon, is accused of slashing five men, all over the age of 30, in a random and vicious assault that has raised concerns about public safety in the city.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the victims suffered a range of injuries, from serious to minor, with one man slashed on the cheek and another suffering cuts to the neck, highlighting the brutality of the attack.
Deleon, who is reportedly homeless, was quickly apprehended by Amtrak police, but not before he allegedly fought with officers and had to be sedated to be taken to a local hospital, where he remains hospitalized and has yet to be charged.
UMVA has uncovered details about Deleon's troubled past, which includes a history of violent behavior and numerous run-ins with the law, including a previous arrest in 2022 for stabbing a man in the neck with a six-inch blade in Newark, New Jersey.
Deleon pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in that case and was sentenced to two years of probation, but his history of violence and arrests suggests a deeper issue that has gone unaddressed, with at least seven arrests and charges ranging from aggravated assault to domestic assault and criminal mischief.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Deleon was arrested just two weeks before the Penn Station attack for theft and possession of drug paraphernalia charges in Long Branch, New Jersey, raising questions about how he was able to carry out such a brutal attack despite his history of violent behavior.
The stabbing spree has sent shockwaves through the community, particularly given its proximity to the Madison Square Garden, where thousands of basketball fans were expected to gather for Game 3 of the NBA finals, and has prompted calls for increased security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
