NEW YORK, NY – Two South American teen girls were the victims of a stabbing incident while they were dining at the Grand Central Terminal on Christmas morning. The girls, aged 14 and 16, sat with their parents at Tartinery in the Grand Central Dining Concourse when the shocking incident occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
After an alleged dispute with the restaurant staff regarding seating, 36-year-old Steven Hutcherson, a Bronx resident, drew a knife and attacked the girls. The elder teen sustained a stab wound in her back that punctured her lung. Her 14-year-old companion was stabbed in the thigh. Both victims were quickly transported to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
MTA police officers, who were stationed nearby, responded swiftly to the incident, arriving at the scene in under 30 seconds. Hutcherson reportedly surrendered, laying down his knife as officers arrived.
The suspect, who is known to both MTA Police and NYPD as emotionally disturbed and with a previous arrest record, is facing felony charges of attempted murder, assault, as well as criminal possession of a weapon. In addition to these charges, he also faces a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities are additionally investigating potential hate crime charges due to certain statements Hutcherson allegedly made prior to the attack.
This is not Hutcherson’s first run-in with the law. He was previously convicted twice within the last six months for threatening individuals with a gun in the Bronx.