A maniac accused of randomly stabbing multiple people with a hunting knife in Queens slashed his first victim in the back and smiled menacingly earlier this month, the man told The Post on Wednesday. told.
The 61-year-old grandfather said he was on his way to the laundromat on Jan. 8 when he was allegedly attacked by 27-year-old German Rigel.
The victim initially thought a crazy stranger had just punched him until he felt blood “dripping down his pants.”
“I felt the weight, but I thought I had been hit hard on the back,'' recalls the victim, who asked to be identified. “After he stabbed me, he walked past, turned to me and smiled.”
The man was the first of at least five victims terrorized by an unidentified stabber in Queens over the past two weeks, police said.
The suspect in the case was taken into custody Wednesday after an investigation by the NYPD.
Police said the victims were stabbed with hunting knives, but all sustained injuries from the attack and survived. Authorities are also investigating whether Rigel also assaulted a victim in Brooklyn.
The victim was walking on 137th Street in Springfield Gardens when he “felt the presence of someone” walking behind him. When he reached the corner of 157th Street and 137th Street, he crossed the street.
“I saw two shadows as I was crossing. I saw another shadow behind me,” the victim explained. “The person seemed to be walking quickly because the shadow was nearby and I moved further to his left hand side. I did not look to see who it was.
“I just wanted to prevent him from passing, so I moved further to the left.”
The assailant ran toward the victim's back as he tried to cross the intersection and stabbed him, but the man did not immediately realize he had been stabbed with a knife.
The victim then looked at a bystander and asked if he saw the person who had just hit him. At that moment, he felt blood.
“That's when I felt heat dripping into my pants,” the victim recalled. “I asked the guy on the phone to pull up his clothes and he said, 'Oh, he's got a big cut on his back and he's bleeding.' He has to call 911. ”
Police quickly responded and continued to apply pressure to the wound until medics arrived and transported him to the hospital. Afterwards, he rapidly recovered and was able to play with his granddaughter again.
Authorities say the first victim was stabbed on January 8, and four more victims were targeted by the same suspect this week.
Another victim, Shaneka Anderson, 34, said she was walking home from work just after midnight on Tuesday when the demon crept up behind her as well. Rigel allegedly stabbed her and fled, leaving her gasping in shock.
Police say the same assailant stabbed three other victims Wednesday morning.
“It's terrible that there are people out there walking around and stabbing people,” the first victim said Wednesday. “That can't be true. What if he stabbed me like that and I just died? It all depends on my family. They rely on me a lot.”
Still, he stressed that he had “no malicious intent” toward the stabbing man and described him as a “sick man.” When he heard police had someone in custody, he said, “I'm glad he's off the street and can't hurt anyone anymore.”
“I have already forgiven him,” he said.
