As per Law and Crime on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, in an incident at Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal, a man with a troubling criminal history has been charged with attempted murder in the second degree as a hate crime, among other serious offenses..
Steven Hutcherson, 36, allegedly stabbed two teenage girls after a confrontation with cafe staff on Monday morning.
The incident occurred at Tartinery Cafe on the dining concourse just before 11:30 a.m.
According to authorities, Hutcherson, identified as an emotionally disturbed individual with a staggering 17 prior arrests, engaged in a heated argument with cafe staff when they refused to let him sit in the area without making a purchase.
Witnesses reported that he explicitly expressed his hostility, shouting, “I want all the white people dead. I want to sit next to the crackers.”
The victims, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old, were visiting the United States from Paraguay.
Hutcherson, seemingly agitated after being denied a table, escalated the situation by grabbing a knife and attacking the girls.
The 16-year-old sustained a stab wound to the back, with the blade nicking her lung, while the 14-year-old was stabbed in the thigh.
MTA police quickly responded to the scene, and Hutcherson surrendered without further violence, putting down the knife.
Eyewitnesses expressed shock and disbelief, with one individual noting, “They shouldn’t have let him out.”
Hutcherson’s disturbing criminal history includes a recent incident on December 12, where he received a conditional discharge for pleading guilty to misdemeanor third-degree assault.
In that case, he had allegedly attacked a woman outside a Bronx freight truck depot, making racially charged threats and brandishing what appeared to be a gun.
Yussif Abdullahi, who witnessed Hutcherson’s prior assault, recounted the terrifying encounter. “Why are you working for white people? I’m going to kill this man!” Hutcherson reportedly threatened Abdullahi, a Ghanaian immigrant.
The defendant further menaced him with the claim, “Open your mouth and say something. I will shoot you right now.”
Hutcherson’s menacing behavior continued, as he later sucker-punched a man a block away.
When he was arrested at a local gas station, authorities found a knife on him but no gun.
The original charges included criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, harassment, and assault.
This latest incident raises questions about the adequacy of the justice system for managing individuals with a history of violent offenses.
