A 24-year-old transgender New Yorker, Jaia Cruz, has been indicted on second-degree murder charges in connection with the stabbing death of a United States mail carrier, Ray Hodge III, during his lunch break earlier this month.
According to authorities, Cruz and Hodge, a 36-year-old father of two, got into an argument over a spot in line while ordering sandwiches at a deli in Harlem. Cruz allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Hodge repeatedly in front of horrified customers, fellow postal carriers, and staff.
Hodge suffered severe knife wounds to his chest, neck, and arm and was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. Cruz walked home after the attack and was later arrested.
This is not Cruz’s first run-in with the law. They have a criminal record that includes prior acts of knife violence, including a mugging.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is asking anyone with additional information on the case to call investigators at 1-877-876-2455.
The prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, described the alleged broad-daylight stabbing as “shocking” and said his thoughts are with those grieving the loss of Hodge, a “beloved father of two and a postal worker.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover funeral costs for Hodge, with his family describing him as a “hardworking, honorable, and good man” who “touched the lives of everyone he interacted with.”
