In a recent incident at Penn Station, two commuters were brutally attacked by a man with a knife, leaving several victims injured. Prosecutors revealed on Monday that one of the victims fought back using a backpack in a desperate attempt to defend himself. The attack occurred on June 7 and involved a suspect, Hector Deleon, who allegedly targeted seven unsuspecting people in the busy transit hub.
DeLeon, 51, has pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including attempted murder. Appearing in court in a beige prison uniform, he faces a total of 18 charges. Should he be convicted, he could spend up to 25 years in prison.
The indictment details how DeLeon entered an area near a New Jersey transit station, where he reportedly started his rampage. He began by slashing one victim’s throat before immediately attacking a woman next. When Henry Obadiah, 60, intervened, he tried to fight DeLeon off, but the attacker managed to stab him in the temple.
DeLeon allegedly continued his assault, stabbing two additional victims before encountering another man, 42, who attempted to shield himself with his backpack. Unfortunately, DeLeon still managed to stab him in the throat.
Obadiah described the attack as terrifying; he was returning home when DeLeon chased him down and punched him. He recalled seeing “the anger in DeLeon’s eyes” during the confrontation and noted the shock that came over him as he realized he had been injured. “I thought, ‘Oh my god!’ when I heard someone warning others about the knife,” he said.
DeLeon has a criminal history, having been arrested multiple times, including for a stabbing incident in Newark the previous year, which resulted in a two-year suspended sentence. At the time of this latest attack, he was apparently on probation.
His separated wife, Waleska Morales, 48, disclosed that their three-year separation stemmed from his history of domestic violence, stating he had been abusive toward her. She described incidents where he physically assaulted her.
During the arraignment, Judge Curtis Farber ordered that DeLeon be held without bail pending a mental health evaluation. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg reiterated his office’s commitment to preventing random acts of violence in the city, affirming, “We will not tolerate this type of indiscriminate violence anywhere in Manhattan.” DeLeon’s next court appearance is set for July 27.
