A New York City woman was arrested in connection to the alleged fatal stabbing of a U.S. Postal Service worker inside a Harlem deli on Thursday, authorities said.
Jaia Cruz, 24, of Manhattan, is charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of 36-year-old Ray Hodges, New York City police said in a statement.
The incident occurred about 2:38 p.m. inside 168 Lenox Ave. in Harlem, police said.
Hodges, of the Bronx, was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.
Cruz was arrested and charged shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, police said.
NBC New York reported Hodges was on the job when he was stabbed in the stomach.
An employee at the deli told the news outlet a fight broke out over a food order, and the suspect was upset the postal worker placed his order first.
A representative with the NYPD was not immediately reached Friday afternoon to comment on a potential motive.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed in a statement the person killed in the slaying was a postal worker. The letter carrier was assigned to Manhattan, the postal inspection service said.
“The Postal Inspection Service takes matters involving the safety and wellbeing of postal service employees as a top priority. We are working diligently with the New York City Police Department on this investigation,” the statement said.
A video of the suspect, Cruz, showed her in handcuffs being escorted to an unmarked car while members of the media shouted questions at her she ignored. Some of the questions included why she stabbed a postal worker and if the confrontation was over a sandwich.
It was not immediately clear on Friday afternoon if Cruz had retained an attorney.
Hodges’ relatives were not reached for comment.
