A 51-year-old man from the Upper West Side has been indicted on hate crime charges following a stabbing spree in Manhattan last month, according to prosecutors. Raul Morales faces multiple charges related to two separate attacks on July 23, each alleged to have been motivated by bias.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment Thursday, which includes two counts of second-degree attempted murder as hate crimes, alongside assault and attempted assault charges with hate crime enhancements. Morales, who did not appear at a brief court hearing, is currently detained on Rikers Island. He is scheduled for arraignment before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Althea Drysdale on September 22, when the formal charges will be publicly disclosed.

According to the criminal complaint, Morales initially targeted a 57-year-old Asian man near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Witnesses report that Morales approached from behind while shouting “Allahu Akbar” and stabbed the victim in the back. He then reportedly continued down the street, shouting “Justice for Islam” and again “Allahu Akbar,” before confronting a second victim.

Around four blocks away near the Jewish Center, Morales allegedly attacked 50-year-old Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, who was wearing a kippah. Witnesses stated he stabbed Grunhaus in the chest with a screwdriver while shouting the same phrase. Morales was apprehended less than an hour later at his apartment on Amsterdam Avenue near West 88th Street, where police said he had barricaded himself.

Morales is a former drug parolee and was once employed as a security guard in Brooklyn. Initially, hate crime charges were applied only to the attack on Grunhaus, but during the July 24 arraignment, prosecutors expanded the charges to include both attacks.

Supporters of Grunhaus, including close friend Nava Silton, attended the court hearing Thursday. Silton said Grunhaus is making gradual progress in his recovery and is receiving strong support from friends and family.

If convicted of the attempted murder charges as hate crimes, Morales could face up to 40 years in prison. The class B violent felony charges carry potential consecutive sentences, which could significantly increase the overall time behind bars.