The incident happened on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 24 just after 4 p.m. when police responded to a reported slashing at the Dunkin' location at 1 Palisade Ave. in Yonkers, according to Yonkers Police Detective Sergeant Frank DiDomizio.
Arriving officers soon found two victims in the area with lacerations, including a 41-year-old man with a cut on the left side of his head and a 61-year-old man with a cut on the left side of his face and lip.
Both victims were rendered medical aid and brought to area hospitals in stable condition.
A third victim, a 35-year-old man with a cut to the right side of his head, was also found later at a local hospital. He had left the scene before police arrived and had arrived at the hospital in stable condition on his own.
Because police were able to check surveillance camera video in real time, a description of the suspect was quickly obtained by authorities. This resulted in 35-year-old Yonkers resident Eric Ali being caught before he could leave the area of the assault, DiDomizio said.
A pair of broken scissors used in the attack was found on Ali and recovered as evidence, DiDomizio added.
A later investigation into the incident found that Ali had allegedly approached the first victim inside the Dunkin', slashing him. He then left the business and cut a second man before approaching a bystander and injuring him as well, according to DiDomizio.
Ali was later charged with three counts of second-degree assault and remains in custody. He will be arraigned in Yonkers Criminal Court on Friday morning, Aug. 25.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano commented on the incident, which is the latest of a string of violent incidents in Yonkers.
"I know these isolated incidents have certainly increased public concern this week, but I want to remind residents that our Yonkers Police Department has handled these incidents with skilled training, care, and concern," Spano said.
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