A Bronx UPS driver was formally recognized Wednesday for his role in helping police apprehend a suspect involved in a stabbing attack on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in late July. The incident left two men injured after the assailant reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” while assaulting his victims.

On July 23, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly stabbed Moshe Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man wearing a kippah, in the chest shortly after Grunhaus left a synagogue on Amsterdam Avenue near West 86th Street. Morales was also accused of stabbing a 57-year-old Asian man in the back minutes earlier near West 84th Street and Central Park West.

George Zamot, a 49-year-old UPS worker originally from the South Bronx, said he was en route to a delivery when he witnessed the immediate aftermath of the attack. “I looked and Moshe Grunhaus was grabbing on his chest,” Zamot recalled. Grunhaus reportedly told someone to call 911, identifying Morales as the attacker.

Zamot followed Morales on foot for approximately two to three blocks as the suspect fled the scene, uncertain of what actions Morales might take next. Zamot said he was prepared to intervene if necessary to prevent further harm. When Morales entered a nearby public housing building and took an elevator to his apartment, Zamot encountered him again. Morales reportedly greeted Zamot with “Have a great day” as he exited on the 11th floor, seemingly indifferent to the situation.

Using information gathered during the pursuit, Zamot informed police of Morales’ apartment number. The NYPD responded with a standoff lasting nearly an hour before arresting Morales. Prosecutors have since stated that evidence points to Morales holding antisemitic views.

Speaking at an event organized by the UJA-Federation of New York aimed at combating antisemitism, Zamot described his motivation for acting as a desire to protect others. “One way or the other, he wasn’t gonna be able to do this to anybody else’s child,” Zamot said. He also expressed empathy for Grunhaus’ family, noting that Grunhaus’ mother lives in Israel.

Zamot, a father of three, said he had kept his involvement largely private until recently. At the rally, he encouraged New Yorkers to unite against hate crimes, saying, “Be the thing that hate crimes cannot operate around.”