A 24-year-old transgender man from New York has been charged Charges of second-degree murder In connection with the stabbing death of a US mailman during his lunch break earlier this month, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Jaya Cruz, the 6-foot-4-inch suspect also known as Alvin, allegedly started an altercation with 36-year-old mailman Ray Hodge III while they were standing in line to order lunch sandwiches on Jan. 2.
Cruz allegedly pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed Hodge in front of terrified customers, fellow postal workers and employees at the restaurant on Lenox Street in Manhattan, Between West 118th and West 119th Streets.
Postman's family breaks silence after father of two was killed on his lunch break
USPS mail carrier Ray Hodge III delivers mail in an undated family photo provided by his brother Ed Rice. (Courtesy of Ed Rice)
Hodge suffered knife wounds to his chest, neck and arm, authorities said.
Cruz returned home after the attack and was… He was later arrested.
Jaya Cruz, a 24-year-old woman, was arrested and transported by the NYPD from the 28th Precinct after she stabbed a postal worker to death at a deli while he was working in Harlem. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa/IMAGN)
Hodge was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. He was a father of two, and was remembered by USPS colleagues on social media as a “great and kind soul.”
“We are deeply hurt and saddened by the loss of my brother,” his brother Ed Rice previously told Fox News Digital. “He was an amazing person and touched so many people in a positive way. We have been silent in our grief and handling my brother's affairs.”
Cruz has Criminal record Involves previous acts of violence with knives, including robbery.
NYPD makes arrest in fatal stabbing of on-duty postal worker
New York police have charged Jaya Cruz in the fatal stabbing of a USPS worker inside a deli in Harlem. (Peter Gerber)
As the New York case moves forward, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Postal Service Law enforcement armAnyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact investigators at 1-877-876-2455.
“The alleged stabbing that occurred in broad daylight shook the neighborhood, including the deli workers and customers who witnessed the attack,” Bragg said. “My thoughts are with those who are mourning the loss of Ray Hodge, postal worker and beloved father of two.”
New York police have charged Jaya Cruz in the fatal stabbing of a USPS worker inside a deli in Harlem. (Peter Gerber)
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The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral costs.
“Ray touched the lives of everyone he interacted with,” the fundraiser said. “Ray was a hardworking, honorable and good man whose life embodied his values and willingness to help others. Ray touched the lives of many, and we are all truly fortunate to have known him and had the opportunity to love him.”
