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NYPD: Woman charged in murder of postal worker after dispute over the line at a deli
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Jan 3, 2025
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By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Jan 3, 2025
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Police have charged a woman with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing an on-duty postal worker in Harlem over their place in line at a deli, according to officials.
Police said 24-year-old Jaia Cruz stabbed Ray Hodges to death on Thursday, after an argument between the two turned violent.
Hodges, 36, was found with multiple stab wounds when police arrived at a deli on Lenox Avenue near 118th Street around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, per preliminary information released by the NYPD.
Officials took him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where he was pronounced dead.
Cruz’s attorney information was not immediately available.
The U.S. Postal Service confirmed Hodges was an employee and said in a statement it was working closely with the NYPD on the case. Any attack on a postal worker can be charged as a federal crime.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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public safety
manhattan
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harlem
Michelle Bocanegra
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