NEW YORK — The suspect accused of stabbing a postal worker to death during an argument at a Harlem deli was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday.
An attorney appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on behalf of Jaia Cruz, who is facing murder and manslaughter charges.
The 24-year-old is accused of attacking 36-year-old Ray Hodge last Thursday inside a deli on Lenox Avenue between 118th and 119th streets.
Cruz is due back in court on Jan. 22.
Argument leads to deadly stabbing at Harlem deli
A deli worker told CBS News New York that Hodge was ordering a sandwich when Cruz became angry and began arguing with him over who was first on line to order. The worker said, in an instant, Cruz pulled out a knife and stabbed Hodge in the stomach.
“I separate them. The mail guy in the front, the lady she was in back. She spit on him, in his face. And mail guy, he got mad. Lemon juice next to the coffee machine, he threw on her. So she took the knife,” the deli worker said. “This is so bad. This is my first time seeing this happen in front of my face.”