Authorities have confirmed that a transgender woman is now facing murder charges after allegedly stabbing a postal worker to death during a dispute at a deli in Harlem, New York.
After an incident at Joe’s Deli Grocery on Lenox Avenue on Thursday, authorities suspect Jaia Cruz, 24, of fatally stabbing Ray Hodges, a 36-year-old USPS employee and father of two. Witnesses told police that the two started bickering while waiting in line, and the argument escalated when Cruz spit in Hodges’ face and stabbed him in the stomach.
Hodges passed away from his injuries while being transported to Harlem Hospital, as reported by law enforcement officials. Although two members of Hodges’ bereaved family declined to provide any comments, they did mention that they are currently going through a difficult time.
Cruz, a man with a criminal record, was apprehended soon after the incident. According to police sources, Cruz had been arrested five times before. One of his previous arrests in July 2020 specifically involved him wielding a box cutter and making threats against another person in Midtown.
The Harlem community is grieving the loss of a local postal worker and father, while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his killing.
