Asian man stabbed in back in New York City's Chinatown, suspect arrested

Posted By: Staff
February 26, 2021 @ 11:33 am
ABC National

Ben185/iStock

Ben185/iStockBy AARON KATERSKY and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A 23-year-old has been charged with stabbing a 36-year-old Asian man in the back in New York City’s Chinatown, allegedly telling detectives that he “didn’t like the way” the victim “looked at him,” police sources said.

Salman Muflihi, of Brooklyn, allegedly pulled an 8-inch knife on the victim at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday, according to police sources.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, sources said.

After the attack Muflihi ran to a security guard outside the nearby Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, allegedly telling the guard, “I just stabbed someone. Where are the police at?” sources said.

Muflihi was charged with attempted criminally negligent homicide, assault, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police sources.

The Asian Hate Crimes Task Force was brought into the investigation but the stabbing is not currently being deemed a bias crime, according to police sources.

Violence against Asians has been growing since the pandemic.

Between March and December last year, the organization Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate recorded nearly 3,000 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide.

The New York City Police Department reported a 1,900% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last year.