Deranged Penn Station stabber was freed from NJ jail just WEEKS before knifing five commuters who paid price for woke bail policies

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:34, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 21:41, 8 June 2026 The knife-wielding madman accused of slashing five people at random in one of New York City's busiest transit hubs has been identified.  Hector Deleon, 51, has been identified as the alleged homeless man who attacked five people at the notorious Penn Station at around 7pm on Sunday. The suspect was tackled to the ground in the minutes following the Sunday stabbing spree. Deleon was hospitalized on Monday, and has yet to be charged, according to The New York Post.  According to court records viewed by The Daily Mail, Deleon was incarcerated as recently as May 26 after he spent days behind bars in New Jersey for pending charges.  Deleon was also hit with assault charges in 2025. It is unclear how that case ended.  Two years prior to that, Deleon was found guilty of a 2022 aggravated assault attempt with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a deadly weapon in Essex County. 'The crazy guy locked his eyes on me and just roundhoused me! Clocked me right in the face and I was like, "What the f***?" And I heard the guy on the escalator say, "He's got a knife! He's got a knife,' 60-year-old Henry Obadiah told the New York Post.  Obadiah said he had assumed he had just been punched, until he saw the knife wound on his face in the reflection of his phone.  Hector Deleon, 51, was identified as the alleged homeless man with a lengthy criminal history who attacked five people at Penn Station at around 7pm on Sunday A victim said he told police he could identify his attacker, and followed the long trail of blood only to see another victim who was clutching a bloody towel to his head while sat on the floor All the victims, who were transported to a local hospital, are expected to survive, with one having suffered serious injuries, two enduring moderate injuries and the other victims left with minor injuries 'I thought he just punched me. I felt my lip got busted and I saw blood, but I took a look into my phone and saw the big cut in my face and I just ran up to the cop and said, "I just got attacked,"' he told the Post. The bleeding accountant from Midtown told police he could identify the attacker, and walked along the long trail of blood only to see another victim who was clutching a bloody towel to his head while sat on the floor.  'The paramedics showed up shortly thereafter. While they were telling me that they should take me to the hospital, all these cops started running past and screaming, "He stabbed someone else! He stabbed someone else!",' Obadiah continued.  All the victims, who were transported to a local hospital, are expected to survive, with one having suffered serious injuries, two enduring moderate injuries and the other victims left with minor injuries.  Subul Sadaq, 25, of New Jersey told AMNY that she and her father were sat on the steps as they witnessed the aftermath of the attack.  'We were sitting on the stairs by Madison Square, and there were like some screams, and the food truck guy had a towel around his ear and he was bleeding,' she told the outlet.  'We saw two people get out into an ambulance. We didn't know what was happening. It's really scary, I don't feel safe.' 60-year-old Henry Obadiah locked eyes with the suspect before he was attacked. He thought he had simply been punched, but soon saw the gash on the side of his face The suspected attacker was revealed to have a long criminal history behind him, including as recently as May 26 after he spent days behind bars for pending charges  Obadiah echoed a similar sentiment, blasting NYC for its transit safety.  'Something has to be done. The city is getting worse and worse and no one seems to care. This administration? Law and order isn't the priority. The attackers have more rights than the victims. It's not surprising that this happened and it doesn't seem like it's going to change under this administration,' he told the Post.  'I want it to change, but not only for me but for the next victim of a crazy homeless guy that decides he had a bad day and he’s going to kill a few people.' NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that his 'heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence.' 'I'm wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery,' he posted on X.   He then went on to say he is 'grateful to the Amtrak Police Department and the first responders who acted quickly to apprehend the suspect and provide emergency care.' Mamdani also added that he remains in contact with Amtrak officials as the investigation into the stabbing continues, and noted there was no impact on service.   Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the Manhattan Borough President, also wrote that his 'thoughts are with those injured in tonight's stabbing at Penn Station' as he expressed his gratitude to the first responders 'who quickly provided medical care and secured the scene. Following Sunday's random attacks, Deleon was tackled to the ground and arrested by Amtrak police not long after the violence began near the Amtrak terminals Blood was spotted on the ground following the stabbing rampage NYC's Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that his 'heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence' 'As the busiest train station in the Western Hemisphere, Penn Station serves hundreds of thousands of commuters, travelers, and visitors every day,' he noted in a post on X. 'New Yorkers deserve a transit hub that is safe, well-managed, and worthy of its importance to our city and region.' New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin further posted that she is 'deeply disturbed by the stabbing at Penn Station that left multiple people injured. 'My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones and I'm grateful to the first responders and law enforcement officers who quickly secured the scene and took the suspect into custody. 'We are in touch with the NYPD and will continue to monitor the situation closely as we await additional information,' she added. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also shared her thoughts. 'Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we are praying for their full recovery,' she posted online. 'Thank you to the law enforcement officers and first responders whose swift actions prevented further harm. 'New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go, and we will never stop working to make that a reality,' she added.  Police downplayed broader security concerns after the stabbing on Sunday at Penn Station, which sits beneath the venue The stabbing threw Penn Station into a frenzy ahead of game three of the NBA Finals.   Authorities have barred fans without tickets from coming within several blocks of the Manhattan venue, and have banned watch parties directly outside -- a break from the first two playoff games, which drew jubilant crowds. Officials have urged ticket holders to arrive at least two hours before the 8:30 pm tip-off to clear airport-style security screening. Bags will not be permitted inside.  'The message is simple: celebrate the Knicks, but avoid the MSG area tonight if you do not have tickets for the game,' NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference. Police downplayed broader security concerns after the stabbing on Sunday at Penn Station, which sits beneath the venue. A ten-foot fence was seen around parts of Madison Square Garden and a heavy presence of Secret Service personnel charged with protecting the US president. The New York Police Department said it would not increase security specifically at Penn Station because of Sunday's stabbing. NYPD Chief Michael LiPetri said that hundreds of officers are assigned to the transit hub, adding that the deployment there 'will not change in light of the incident yesterday.' The Daily Mail reached out to the Amtrak Police Department, the Essex County Sheriff's Office and the New York City Police Department.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.