A chilling start to the New Year unfolded with machete-wielding mayhem in Miami and Times Square, resulting in several injuries and stirring disquiet amongst revelers. On New Year's Day in Miami, a man named Victor Cejas was arrested after carrying out a machete attack, while in a separate holiday horror, Trevor Bickford was charged with attempted murder after assaulting NYPD officers with a bladed weapon during New Year's Eve celebrations, according to police.
In the Miami incident, the altercation led to a victim sustaining a severe gash on his hand. Cejas, 23, engaged in a minor disagreement with the victim before allegedly striking him multiple times, resulting in his arrest on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. In a statement obtained by NBC Miami, the police said Cejas directed them to where the machete was hidden behind a building. His bond is set at $10,000.
The New Year's Eve attack in New York City was of a more dire nature, with the suspect, Bickford, a 19-year-old from Wells, Maine, having been recently placed on the FBI's terror watchlist. A high-ranking police source relaying information to CBS News noted that his addition to the list followed his aunt's concerns over his online radicalization and intent to join Islamic extremists abroad.
Bickford targeted NYPD officers mere blocks away from where throngs had gathered to ring in 2024 at Times Square. One of the officers faced a fractured skull, while another was hospitalized for a laceration, with both injuries inflicted by a suspect carrying a machete, according to the press conference held by city officials, including Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Recovering at a hospital, Bickford himself was struck by an officer's bullet, with authorities early Sunday confirming his injury and anticipated recovery.
Amidst the ongoing investigation, Mike Driscoll of the FBI's New York Field Office assured the public, stating, "We believe this was a sole individual at this time. There's nothing to indicate otherwise," as conveyed in an interview by CBS News. Details emerged of Bickford spending the night before the attack at a homeless shelter and authorities discovering a notebook in his backpack with writings about becoming a holy warrior. A suspicious package response by a bomb squad in Queens further linked a sleeping bag and food to the assailant.
As law enforcement continues to pursue leads and sort through the suspect's digital and personal footprints, officials urge anyone with information to contribute tips to the NYPD, signaling an ongoing resolve to clarify the motives behind these violent breaches that marred the holiday spirit.
