Grand Central has become quite the scary place lately, as it's been taken over by pro-Hamas agitators on occasion. On Christmas Day, Steven Hutcherson, 36, allegedly stabbed a 14-year-old teen girl and her 16-year-old sister while they were enjoying their dinner at the station's concourse. Moments before, Hutcherson had shouted "I want all the white people dead." The teens were hospitalized for their injuries. In what has unfortunately become all too common a theme about crime in New York City, Hutcherson had a long rap sheet, a history of mental illness, and, according to another victim, shouldn't have even been out of jail in the first place.
As The New York Post reported:
Yussif Abdullahi, 46, was outraged after learning that Steven Hutcherson, 36, had been cut loose by a Bronx judge — just two weeks before he allegedly randomly knifed a 14-year-old girl and her 16-year-old sister as they enjoyed a Christmas Day meal with their family at a restaurant in the Grand Central concourse.
“They shouldn’t have let him out [of jail]. I don’t believe it,” he told The Post.
Abdullahi said his Nov. 7 run-in with Hutcherson was the most dangerous encounter he’s had since he moved to the US from Ghana in 2008.
He’d been working outside a freight truck depot in Hunts Point when he said he saw Hutcherson allegedly attacking a woman.
Yussif Abdullahi, 46, was outraged after learning that Steven Hutcherson, 36, had been cut loose by a Bronx judge — just two weeks before he allegedly randomly knifed a 14-year-old girl and her 16-year-old sister as they enjoyed a Christmas Day meal with their family at a restaurant in the Grand Central concourse.
“They shouldn’t have let him out [of jail]. I don’t believe it,” he told The Post.
Abdullahi said his Nov. 7 run-in with Hutcherson was the most dangerous encounter he’s had since he moved to the US from Ghana in 2008.
He’d been working outside a freight truck depot in Hunts Point when he said he saw Hutcherson allegedly attacking a woman.
“I was thinking maybe he was just saying it and didn’t mean it,” he recalled.
But when Abdullahi tried to walk into the workshop where he worked, he said the unhinged man blocked his path and showed him what appeared to be a gun tucked into his wasteband.
“He pulled a gun on me and said, ‘I don’t care what kind of green card you have, I’m gonna shoot you right now!” Abdullahi recalled.
Hutcherson stormed away, sucker-punching another man just one block away less than 30 minutes later, according to the complaint.
He was arrested at a nearby gas station and cops charged him with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, harassment and assault.
Police did not recover a gun, but found a knife on him when they arrested him, according to law enforcement sources.
Hutcherson pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to conditional discharge on Dec. 12 by Judge Matthew V. Grieco, according to court records.
Hutcherson made similar comments about white people to that other victim,Yussif Abdullahi. "The things he was saying, telling me, 'Why are you working for white people?' … Maybe he was sick. He needs to be institutionalized," Abdullahi also said.
And there is indeed a history of concerning encounters with law enforcement, with Hutcherson also being described by law enforcement sources as an "emotionally disturbed person."
What's even more enlightening about the crimes is what Abdullahi had to say about law enforcement in the matter. "I’m so disappointed in the cops. When he was threatening me, he told me, 'The cops don’t do s**t! They don’t do s**t!' And what he said was true," Abdullahi said about his encounter with Hutcherson. "The cops didn’t do anything."
Hutchinson was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday evening, with felony charges of attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. On Wednesday morning, the Gothamist reported that prosecutors have charged Hutcherson with murder and assault as hate crimes.
The law enforcement sources who described Hutcherson to The Post as an "emotionsally disturbed person" also noted that he's had 17 prior arrests.
The New York Post also published a column from Nicole Gelinas Tuesday night, "After Grand Central stabbing, Mayor Adams’ response shows he missed crime train," in which she called out Mayor Eric Adams, especially as he's touted lower crime numbers, although they're still higher than they were in 2019.
Adams has posted and reposted plenty of times lately, and that includes several posts bragging about crime in addition to other issues, with no less than seven posts since December 21. This even includes posts shared after the violent crime occurred at Grand Central Station. As of Wednesday morning, he has yet to post about that stabbing.
That Gothamist report also included comments from Adams on the matter:
Asked about the stabbings at an unrelated press conference Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams sought to reassure New Yorkers they are safe in “high-profile locations,” such as Grand Central.
“That's why we have to make sure we zero in, make the arrest as soon as possible, and make sure we get those repeated offenders off our streets,” Adams said, noting the police commissioner would brief him on the incident.
"Grand Central" was trending over X on Tuesday in response to the news, as many demanded Hutcherson be charged with a hate crime. Former Rep. Lee Zledin (R-NY), who came close to beating Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) in last year's gubernatorial race, also posted a warning about crime in the city.
"This will continue happening with electeds prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens," Zeldin's post read in part. Zeldin had made tackling crime a main priority in last year's campaign.
Two teenage girls were stabbed yesterday at Grand Central, on Christmas, by an assailant screaming, "I want all white people dead." The criminal should have already been behind bars. This will continue happening with electeds prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens. https://t.co/oT7WyYjQzx
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) December 27, 2023