Jan. 11, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
Police are searching for a knife-wielding man who launched a vicious attack on a worker inside a Long Island City hotel Sunday morning – slashing him several times before the victim managed to break free.
The suspect was loitering inside the hotel lobby of La Quinta Inn, located at 37-18 Queens Blvd., at around 6:15 a.m. before he asked a hotel worker at reception for a bottle of water, police said.
The victim, who was behind the reception desk, stepped out from behind the counter and handed him the bottle of water before the suspect pulled out a knife and attacked the worker, police said.
The hotel worker can be seen on CCTV footage putting his hands out to defend himself before retreating backward and eventually falling to the ground.
The suspect jumped on top of the man and began slashing him with the knife, police said.
The pair tussled before the worker eventually fought his way free then ran behind reception and locked the door.
The suspect can then be seen walking casually to the exit before fleeing the scene on foot.
The hotel worker, 33, was transferred to New York Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst in a stable condition with slash wounds to his hands and left ear.
Police said the suspect was not a customer at the hotel and no motive for the attack has been given.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
The suspect and La Quinta Inn, located at 37-18 Queens Blvd. (NYPD and Google Maps)
