A suspect wanted for stabbing a stranger who accidentally bumped into him in a Manhattan subway stop was carrying three knives when he was nabbed at the same station days later, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Raymond Kwok, 27, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of assault, attempted assault and weapon possession for the Friday stabbing at the First Ave. L train station in the East Village.
Kwok, who lives near the station, was arrested there Monday after he was spotted by cops. He was armed with a switchblade and two other knives when he was picked up, according to a criminal complaint.
The arrest came a day after cops released a picture of the suspect taken from an MTA security camera and asked the public’s help identifying him.
The case against Kwok is strong one and includes surveillance footage of the assault, Assistant District Attorney Megan Acosta argued in court.
Around 8:40 p.m. on Friday, the 29-year-old victim had just exited a Brooklyn-bound L train at the stop when he unwittingly bumped into Kwok, who then brandished a knife and stabbed the victim in the back, according to police.
A security guard monitoring the platform witnessed the victim looking confused and in pain and someone fleeing up the stairs to the street.
“Someone came up behind him and stabbed him in the back,” said the guard, who gave his name as Samba. “He never saw it coming.”
“He yelled, ‘Somebody punched me.’ But then we looked and we saw all the blood.”
Medics transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Prosecutors said Tuesday he is expected to fully recover.
Acosta requested $25,000 cash bail but Kwok was given supervised release by Judge Michael Gaffney. He is due back in court Oct. 31.
With Molly Crane-Newman
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