Two people stabbed near Central Park in New York

Two people were stabbed Thursday in separate attacks near Manhattan's Central Park, officials said.

New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the victims were an Asian male and a Jewish male. Both were hospitalized and were expected to survive. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said both victims were in stable condition.

Police arrested a suspect identified as Raul Morales, 51. Tisch said detectives were still working to determine a motive, but victim and witness statements said Morales yelled "Allahu akbar" during both attacks. She said police were evaluating whether the case may be a hate crime.

Tisch said the suspect had no record of psychiatric illness in police records. Mamdani said in a separate post that the initial investigation suggested mental health may have been a factor. He said the attacks had no place in the city.