A 19-year-old tourist from Australia was seriously injured after being stabbed inside a McDonald’s in Midtown Manhattan early Monday morning. The attack happened at the restaurant on Eighth Avenue near 35th Street, close to Penn Station.
The stabbing happened just after 2 am, as reported by The New York Post. The tourist was sitting inside the restaurant and eating when he got into a dispute with 25-year-old Juan Mercedes, according to police and law enforcement sources.
Australian tourist stabbing
The victim was stabbed in the rib cage and back. The New York Post reported that words were exchanged between the two men, but sources said the attack was largely unprovoked. Eyewitness News also reported that detectives believe the stabbing was unprovoked. The investigation into exactly what led to the confrontation is still underway.
Also read: Safeway store closures: Why Albertsons is closing more locations after Kroger deal collapse
Police arrested Mercedes at the scene. He is 25 years old and is from Port Charlotte, Florida. Mercedes was charged with assault. The New York Post reported that he was charged with second-degree assault and was being held in custody pending an arraignment later Monday.
Tourist in hospital
{{/usCountry}}Police arrested Mercedes at the scene. He is 25 years old and is from Port Charlotte, Florida. Mercedes was charged with assault. The New York Post reported that he was charged with second-degree assault and was being held in custody pending an arraignment later Monday.
Tourist in hospital
{{/usCountry}}The injured tourist was rushed to Bellevue Hospital. He was listed in stable condition and is expected to survive, according to Eyewitness News. The tourist has not been publicly identified. He later told Eyewitness News by phone that he was recovering from the attack.
The incident has also raised concerns among regular customers who visit the McDonald’s late at night. Some customers said they try to avoid the restaurant during late-night hours because of fights and arguments.
Customers raise safety concerns
One customer said the area often sees fights and arguments. “There's always fighting over here. There's always arguing. You know sometimes even in the daytime,” customer Tony Wright told Eyewitness News.
Wright said he avoids staying in the area late at night because he does not feel it is a good time to be outside. He said the situation can be concerning even during the evening. Police are continuing to investigate the stabbing. Authorities are looking into the confrontation between the Australian tourist and Mercedes, including what happened before the stabbing.
The case comes after a late-night dispute inside a busy Midtown location near Penn Station turned violent. The tourist was seriously hurt but remained in stable condition after being taken to the hospital.