A ‘transgender’ suspect arrested for stabbing a postal worker to death at a New York City deli has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for crimes involving blades, according to reports.
The horrifying attack unfolded just after 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in Harlem.
Ray Hodges, 36, was on-duty as a USPS letter carrier when he popped in for lunch at a deli where he was well-known as a regular, the New York Post reports.
While preparing to order, another customer cut in front of him, sparking a dispute, witnesses say.
Multiple customers and employees tried to break up the altercation, which escalated when the suspect spat on Hodges, prompting him to throw a “bottle of lemon juice at her,” one worker said.
“That’s when she took the knife and came to him and I had to move.”
The suspect reportedly slashed Hodges repeatedly in the neck and stomach.
Hodges was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Jaia Cruz, 24, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with murder.
Hellbound and Down 