A naked man with a 10-inch kitchen knife went on a rampage in a Washington Heights building Tuesday afternoon, stabbing four people, including two senior citizens, police said.
Ignacio Reyes-Collazo, an 81-year-old who lived in the building for decades, and Yigao Chen, a 60-year-old woman, died from the stabbings.
Neighbors described the knife-wielding suspect, Christian Falero, 23, as mentally unstable. He was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and robbery.
Jackie Rowe-Adams, who lives on the same floor as Falero, said she saw the accused killer on several occasions in the elevator and suspected he was in need of medication for psychological issues.
The unexplained attack unfolded at about 4:10 p.m., when Falero, a resident of the fifth floor, punched a 22-year-old woman in the face.
He then allegedly grabbed the blade and went door-to-door on the building's second floor, slashing elderly residents as they answered his knock.
Shortly after the slashing rampage, police found Falero naked on a nearby street.
Reyes-Collazo was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital with stab wounds to his face and chest. Chen was also pronounced dead at St. Luke's with stab wounds to the eye and chest.
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Reyes-Collazo's 75-year-old wife was also stabbed multiple times. She was taken to Harlem Hospital where she was expected to survive.
Also injured was an 85-year-old woman in stable condition with multiple slash wounds. Another woman was also injured.
The suspect, Falero, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
He was at St. Luke's Hospital undergoing psychological evaluation Tuesday night.
It's not clear if Falero's injuries were self-inflicted.
