A mailman was stabbed during his lunch break in the blue city, and a transgender suspect has been charged with the murder.
USPS carrier Ray Hodge III accused of stabbing Jaia Cruz in NYC deli.
A 24-year-old transgender individual from New York has been accused of murder for allegedly stabbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in the stomach while he was waiting in line to purchase lunch.
Ray Hodge III, a 36-year-old postal carrier and father of two, was stabbed multiple times during an argument while on duty at the post office.
On Thursday, Jaia Cruz, also known as Alvin, was escorted out of the NYPD's 28th Precinct by police.
The suspect, who was 6 feet 4 inches tall, had his face concealed by a sweatshirt, and Cruz did not answer any questions from reporters.
The New York Post reports that Cruz allegedly spat in the victim's face and then drove a knife into his stomach during a fight over their positions in line.
On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., an attack occurred at a deli on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The victim, Hodge, was found with multiple stab wounds to his torso, neck, and arms. He was rushed to Harlem Hospital but was later pronounced dead.
On social media, Hodge's colleagues at the USPS remembered him as a "kind soul."
Cruz, the suspect, has a history of violent crimes involving knives, including muggings.
Cruz was scheduled to return to court later today for arraignment.
The Postal Service's law enforcement arm, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is requesting anyone with additional information on the New York case to contact investigators at 1-877-876-2455.
"The USPIS prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of postal service employees and is collaborating with the NYCPD on the investigation."
The murder of Octavia Redmond, a 48-year-old mail carrier in Chicago, occurred months after a 15-year-old boy was arrested for the ambush murder of a mail carrier in the city.
She was also on duty at the time.
"Elise Foster, one of her colleagues, told FOX 32 Chicago that their motto is to continue delivery every day, regardless of the weather. She said, "We don't do bullets. We can't do them.""
Planet Chronicle' Louis Casiano and Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
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