New York City police have arrested a woman and charged her with murder after she allegedly stabbed a United States Postal Service worker to death at a deli in Harlem.
The suspect, 24-year-old Jaia Cruz, was arrested and charged with the murder of 36-year-old Ray Hodges. Hodges, who was on the job at the time, was ordering a sandwich when he was stabbed multiple times in the stomach, arms, back, and neck, according to police reports.
Authorities stated that officers were dispatched to the deli on Lenox Avenue, between 118th and 119th streets, shortly after 2:30 p.m. following a report of an assault. Upon arriving at the scene, police found a man suffering from several stab wounds.
Hodges was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police confirmed that the altercation began over a dispute about a spot in line. The knife used in the attack was recovered from the scene, and investigators are working to determine the events that led to the heated argument.
An employee at the deli recounted that the fight started after Ray placed his food order before Jaia. The employee said that, in a sudden escalation, the woman pulled out a knife and began stabbing Hodges.
At the hospital, the victim’s mother met with a local activist and expressed her devastation. “A mother never, never expects to bury her child,” she said. “She’s still in a little shock. She just said, ‘I didn’t believe that my son would be dead.’ And I don’t think any mother is ready for this.”
