A New York woman, Jaia Cruz, 24, has been charged with second-degree murder following the fatal stabbing of postal worker Ray Hodge, 36, in a Harlem deli. The tragic altercation allegedly began as a dispute over who would order first at the sandwich counter.
Hodge, who was wearing his postal uniform at the time, was stabbed in the chest, neck, and arms on Thursday afternoon. Police found him wounded on the deli floor, and he was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Cruz was arraigned and is being held without bail.
Witnesses described the deadly escalation. Janet Rich, a fellow customer, told the People that she and another person tried to intervene during the argument, but their efforts were unsuccessful. An employee recounted: “They were arguing about who’s going to order first. We tried to break them, to separate them.”
According to reports from the New York Post, Cruz allegedly spit in Hodge’s face before stabbing him in the stomach. A chilling social media video emerged after the incident, showing Cruz smirking and rolling her eyes. Set to a song with explicit lyrics, the footage captures Cruz glancing dismissively at the camera before the clip ends.
Hodge, a beloved member of his Bronx community, was known for his devotion to his children, care for his mother, and passion for sports and music. Neighbor Andrea M shared with Eyewitness News: “I watched him grow up, and to see him… better himself was anything you could ask from a kid.” She added, “Nobody knows what tomorrow is going to bring, so we’ve got to cherish the people that we love in the moment we have them.”
A memorial has since been created outside Hodge’s home, adorned with candles and his postal hat, as neighbors pay tribute to the life lost too soon. Meanwhile, investigators are uncovering details about Cruz’s criminal history. In one 2020 incident, Cruz allegedly threatened someone with an open box cutter, stating, “I’m going to cut him.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working alongside the New York Police Department to investigate the incident further. For now, Cruz remains in custody, awaiting trial for the brutal killing that has shocked the Harlem community.
