Overview
- Police say a 19-year-old Australian tourist was stabbed inside the 24-hour McDonald’s at Eighth Avenue and 35th Street just after 2 a.m., and he was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
- Prosecutors identified 25-year-old Juan Mercedes of Florida as the suspect and say video and witness statements show him holding the knife when officers arrived.
- Mercedes was arraigned on attempted murder and related assault charges and is being held on $150,000 cash or $450,000 bond with a return court date scheduled for August 21.
- Court records and reporting say the victim suffered stab wounds to his torso and back that punctured a lung and he remained hospitalized as the investigation continued.
- The attack has renewed local concern about safety at the busy, late-night Penn Station-area McDonald’s and officials say the NYPD and Manhattan prosecutors are continuing to investigate.