A homeless man with a lengthy criminal history, Hector Deleon, 51, randomly stabbed five people at New York City's Penn Station on Sunday evening around 7 p.m., according to reports. Victims sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious, with one person in serious condition. The suspect was subdued by bystanders and police and later hospitalized, though he had not been charged as of the latest update.

Hector Deleon: a criminal record that includes a 2025 assault charge

According to court records cited in the report , Deleon was incarcerated in New Jersey on May 26 on pending charges and faces a 2025 assault charge. In 2022 he was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a deadly weapon in Essex County. The timeline suggests that despite prior convictions, Deleon was free at the time of the stabbing spree, raising questions about the effectiveness of parole or release conditions.

The report notes Deleon is homeless, a factor that often complicates supervision and access to mental health services. The presence of a 2025 charge — two years away — indicates ongoing legal entanglements, yet the system did not prevent Sunday's attack.

Henry Obadiah's account: a lock of eyes, a roundhouse kick, then blood

Victim Henry Obadiah, 60, described a chilling encounter: Deleon locked eyes with him before delivering a roundhouse kick and then stabbing him. Obadiah initially thought he had been punched until he saw his reflection in his phone and discovered a deep cut on his face. He also reported seeing another victim on the floor with a bloody towel pressed to their head. Witnesses and victims painted a chaotic scene inside the station as the suspect moved from person to person.

Bystander intervention and the response from city leaders

The suspect was tackled by bystanders and police, according to the source. Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement expressing sympathy for the injured and thanking first responders, including Amtrak Police.. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal also offered support. However, victim Obadiah criticized the city's law and order priorities, suggesting the administration favors attackers over victims, as the report captured.

Witness Subul Sadaq described seeing a food truck vendor with a towel around his bleeding ear and people being loaded into an ambulance.. All five victims are expected to survive, but the incident has shaken confidence in transit safety.

What remains unknown: charges, DNA, and the path to the station

The source leaves several key questions unanswered. Deleon had not been charged as of Monday;the precise charges and whether mental health evaluations are underway remain unclear. It is also not known why Deleon chose Penn Station that evening or whether he had been recently released from custody. Without official comment on his prior release, the public is left to infer gaps in the justice system's handling of homeless repeat offenders.