A man was arrested for stabbing two men, one of whom died, outside a homeless drop-in center in Hell’s Kitchen, cops said Saturday.
Kareem Ruddock, 35, was identified by police as the knifeman who stabbed Rene Flores, 31, to death and wounded a 34-year-old man in the pre-dawn assault.
Ruddock was arrested late Friday and charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. He was held without bail at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
The victims were attacked outside the Urban Pathways Ninth Ave. Drop-In Center near W. 52nd St. around 4:45 a.m. on April 23, according to law enforcement.
Flores, a delivery driver, was stabbed multiple times in the torso, sustaining injuries to the heart and left lung after Ruddock allegedly rushed him with a knife in his hands, according to a court documents.
Medics rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he died.
Flores was working a shift as a delivery driver when he was killed, the victim’s sister Beatrice said.
The second victim was hospitalized in stable condition after being stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, police said.
Though police initially believed both victims were connected to the shelter, an NYPD spokesman on Friday said they were not residents of the facility.
Hugo Gonzalez, a friend of Flores, said the victim was working “when he lost his life.”
He and his friends were collecting donations for a funeral service for Flores and to have his body flown back to Mexico for burial.
It remains unclear what sparked the attack, but cops said the victims had no prior relation to their attacker.
The 24-hour drop-in center offers services, including charging stations, a kitchen and medical and laundry rooms. The 2024 opening of the facility met with some resistance from local community leaders, who had safety concerns.
Hell’s Kitchen resident Terrell Drummond, who opposed siting the drop-in center there, said homeless people hang around outside the place all hours of the night.
“That’s evil to be doing that in an area like this, because the area is really nice,” Drummond, 50, said of the stabbing. “It could get dangerous and sketchy in the night. You got to be careful.”
“The neighborhood is nice, but I think they changed it for the worse,” he added.
A funeral for Flores was expected to take place Sunday in Manhattan, friends said.
Ruddock was due back in court on May 7.
An Urban Pathways spokeswoman expressed condolences to the victims and their families in a statement.
“Violence is never the answer, but understanding and addressing its root causes must be,” the statement said.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the complex challenges facing the communities we serve — individuals navigating homelessness, trauma, mental health struggles, and systemic inequities every day. We are working closely with city partners and authorities as the investigation continues, and we will continue to show up for our community with unwavering compassion.”
