Overview

• Ray Hodges, an on-duty postal worker, was fatally stabbed in a Harlem deli after a disagreement over who was next in line to order food.
• The suspect, 24-year-old Jaia Cruz, allegedly stabbed Hodges multiple times with a steak knife and has been charged with second-degree murder.
• Witnesses reported that the argument began when Cruz accused Hodges of cutting in line, escalating into a physical altercation despite attempts to intervene.
• Hodges, described by friends and neighbors as a dedicated worker and devoted father of two, was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital shortly after the attack.
• Law enforcement revealed Cruz has a history of violent behavior involving knives, with prior arrests for similar incidents.