A 36-year-old man has been charged with multiple hate crimes after he stabbed two teenage girls in New York's Grand Central Terminal on Christmas morning. Esteban Esono-Asue, also known as Steven Hutcherson, was arrested after he made derogatory comments about White people before the unprovoked attack on the girls, who were later transported to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Witnesses reported that Esono-Asue initially made anti-white comments before approaching a dining employee.

He then made another derogatory comment and pulled out a knife to attack a family inside the eatery. Officials said the man stabbed one girl in the back and the other in the leg, causing the elder to suffer a collapsed lung. The Paraguayan consulate general's office in New York has been helping the girls, who were visiting the city from their home country. The suspect has a long history of criminal activity, having been arrested at least a dozen times previously, including in November for carrying a knife.

Esono-Asue pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been ordered held without bail pending his next court appearance, scheduled for Friday. Mayor Eric Adams noted the city's increased efforts to combat crime in the subway system in light of the incident, which an MTA Police Department spokesperson called a "rare occurrence" at Grand Central.