What to Know
- Two staffers at the MoMA were stabbed inside the Manhattan museum on Saturday
- Police said the suspect is a former museum member who was denied access and hopped a reception desk to attack the workers
- Both employees were rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said; the suspect is now in custody
The former Museum of Modern Art member accused of stabbing two employees when he was denied entry into the Manhattan facility over the weekend has been arrested in Philadelphia, where he allegedly set his hotel room on fire, a senior law enforcement official and investigators with knowledge of the case say.
Gary Cabana, 60, was picked up early Tuesday at the Greyhound bus terminal, where he was sleeping on a bench, officials said. The arrest came hours after firefighters responded to a report of a suspicious fire at the Best Western Plus on Vine Street in Philly, two senior NYPD officials familiar with the case say. He was also captured on surveillance camera before allegedly torching his room.
The hotel receptionist called authorities to say a guest had signed in under the last name Cabana but used his middle name rather than his first, the senior law enforcement official said. Philadelphia police canvassed the area and found him on the bench, which was about a half-mile from the hotel, the NYPD officials said.
Cabana spontaneously uttered, according to those officials, "I'm the guy you're looking for. I had a bad day."
Philadelphia police said they did not know why Cabana came to their city after the alleged double stabbing, and that investigators are looking into the matter.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Cops had been looking for Cabana since the shocking weekend attack at MoMA. He has no prior criminal history, authorities said, and will face assault charges in that case as well as in a previous attack involving a MoMA employee -- one where he allegedly punched that person in the face -- when he is extradited to New York.
Cabana is expected to face aggravated harassment charges over emailed threats as well, officials said at a news briefing Tuesday. He also now faces at least one arson charge in Philadelphia for the hotel fire. Attorney details for him weren't clear.
In the latest case, museum surveillance video shows the moment cops say Cabana hopped the desk and cornered several workers before stabbing two of them.
A man wearing a suit and holding what appears to be a walkie-talkie is seen trying to stop the suspect from the other side of the counter. He's seen throwing numerous projectiles at the suspect in an attempt to stop the attack.
Eventually, both victims were able to run past their attacker amid the chaos.
Cabana is accused of trying to gain access to the museum to see a film but was denied because his membership had been revoked a day earlier for repeat disturbances, John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said at a press conference Saturday evening.
News
Miller also said a letter informing Cabana that his membership had ended was sent out Friday.
After he wasn't allowed past the museum entrance, police said he jumped over the reception desk around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and stabbed two employees — a 24-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man — multiple times.
The museum staffers were stabbed in the back, collarbone and neck, according to Miller's report. He said both victims were expected to survive and are recovering at home.
Cabana took to social media in the days after the attack with a series of rambling posts denying he'd misbehaved prior to losing his membership. He also tried to minimize the attack, saying it was a "poke poke poke wake-up call" and accusing staff of framing him.
Philadelphia authorities said Cabana was cooperative after being arrested. He is likely to face arson charges for the hotel blaze in Philly. No details on when possible arraignment or extradition were immediately available.
Additional video captured Cabana leaving the museum after the attack. He was seen wearing a black jacket and blue face mask, police said. He's also described by police as a museum regular, someone with whom staff was familiar.
Videos posted to social media showed dozens of people leaving the museum as officials moved in to commandeer the scene.
The museum was full of visitors during Saturday's late winter snowstorm when the attack happened. Among those inside was David Dujerko, who was visiting from Chicago.
"Suddenly they said 'the museum's closed' and people started running. Little panic onth escalators and then they started shouting 'get out, get out for your own safety,'" Dujerko said.
Closed since the attack, the MoMA reopened on Tuesday, with visitors noticing police officers and extra security at the museum's entrance.
"MoMA reopened today and we look forward to welcoming back our members and visitors," a museum representative said in a statement. "We're relieved and grateful that our colleagues are recovering, and the attacker was arrested."
