A 36-year-old woman was struck in the head and slashed on the arm, and a 37-year-old man who stepped in to help her was stabbed multiple times in the back, after a street argument near West 183rd Street and Grand Avenue turned violent Sunday in University Heights. Both victims were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital and are listed in stable condition. Police have released images of the attacker and are asking the public for help tracking him down.
According to News12 Bronx, the trouble began when the woman got into an argument with a group of people near the intersection. That confrontation escalated, and the attacker allegedly hit her in the head with an unknown object before cutting her arm. When the 37-year-old man tried to intervene, police say the attacker turned on him, stabbing him multiple times in the back. The assailant then fled east on Evelyn Place in a dark-colored SUV, per the outlet's report.
Police describe the attacker as a man last seen wearing a multicolored shirt, a white tank top and light-colored shorts. Investigators have asked anyone with information about the suspect or the getaway vehicle to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline. Tipsters who call 1-800-577-TIPS or use the CS-NYC mobile app can remain anonymous, and the program offers rewards of up to $3,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment, according to the NYPD.
A Corner With a Violent Recent History
The stretch of West 183rd Street and Grand Avenue where Sunday's attack unfolded has seen repeated violence this year. On July 11, two assailants displayed a handgun at that exact intersection and stole a $3,500 diamond chain from a 23-year-old victim, as Hoodline reported in its piece on the gunpoint chain robbery. Just a day before that robbery, a 46-year-old man was cornered and fatally stabbed near East 183rd Street and Grand Concourse after a verbal dispute escalated, with multiple suspects still being sought in that case, according to Hoodline's coverage of the deadly clash.
The pattern extends further back. In April, a pre-dawn argument near East 183rd Street in nearby Fordham turned into a double blade attack that left two men hospitalized with severe head and hand wounds, Hoodline reported at the time. Sunday's stabbing fits a broader trend of verbal arguments along the 183rd Street corridor boiling over into knife violence, a pattern that has repeatedly drawn heavy police response in the surrounding blocks of University Heights and Fordham.
Precinct Data Shows a Mixed Picture
The area falls under the NYPD's 52th Precinct, headquartered on Webster Avenue and responsible for policing University Heights, Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge and Norwood. Official NYPD CompStat figures show the precinct recorded 119 felony assaults in 2026 through late July, a 5.6% decline compared to the 126 felony assaults logged over the same period in 2025. That local dip stands in contrast to a broader borough trend reported by the Bronx Times, which found felony assault complaints across the Bronx rose 2.5% over a 28-day period in 2025 compared to the year before, climbing from 794 to 814 incidents.
Both stabbing victims were rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital in Belmont, a 422-bed non-profit teaching facility founded in 1866 that operates a state-designated Level II Trauma Center providing round-the-clock emergency surgical care, according to SBH Health System. The hospital serves as the primary emergency trauma facility for University Heights and much of the central Bronx.
What Charges Could Follow an Arrest
Once a suspect is identified and arrested, prosecutors will likely weigh the severity of the injuries in deciding what charges to file. Under New York Penal Law § 120.10, intentionally causing serious physical injury with a dangerous instrument or weapon constitutes Assault in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony punishable by five to 25 years in state prison, according to Tilem & Associates, PC. If the injuries are ultimately classified as non-life-threatening, the attacker could instead face Assault in the Second Degree under Penal Law § 120.05, a Class D violent felony that carries a mandatory minimum of two years and up to seven years in prison, per Saland Law.
It remains unknown whether the attacker acted alone or was part of the group the 36-year-old woman had been arguing with before the violence broke out. It's also unclear whether the images police released will lead to a quick identification. For now, investigators are relying on the public and the Crime Stoppers tip line to help close the case.
