The New York City Police Department is searching for 18 suspects in connection with two separate attacks in Times Square on Thursday.
The first attack happened at about 5:30 p.m. on West 42nd Street. Officers found a 17-year-old male stabbed in the lower back area. Seven people of interest were taken into custody. The victim is a migrant, according to the NYPD.
Two hours later, the police responded to an assault on Broadway where a verbal dispute turned physical. The 28-year-old male victim was repeatedly kicked and punched in the head and face by a group of individuals. Officers took three people into custody.
Emergency Medical Services transported the victims to Bellevue Hospital. They are both in stable condition.
The New York City Police Department does not believe the attacks are linked. They are searching for 18 other suspects as of Friday: two in connection to the assault and 16 in connection to the stabbing.
Charges for the suspects arrested at the scenes will by announced by Friday afternoon, police said.
The two attacks Thursday night were the latest acts of violence in Times Square. Earlier this year, two police officers sustained minor injuries after a group of reported migrants assaulted them.
“Get them all and send them back,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said about the suspects in the January assault. “You don’t touch our police officers. You don’t touch anybody.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on the latest Times Square attacks.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
