By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-22 22:11:15 | Updated at 2024-11-23 02:45:24
4 hours ago
A crazed man who allegedly slashed a Danish tourist’s face on the Upper West Side tried to escape his handcuffs and rambled incoherently about “paranoia” during a chaotic court appearance Friday.
Joshua Zinberg, 25, repeatedly interrupted his Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment on an attempted murder charge — screaming to the judge at one point, “Who are you?”
“The judge,” Judge Janet McDonnell deadpanned.
McDonnell ordered Zinberg — who spat at reporters Thursday while dementedly bellowing “Teach you to f–k with the Jewish Joshua!” — held on $150,000 cash bail and to undergo a psychological evaluation as the criminal case moves forward.
New harrowing details from the broad daylight, random slashing Wednesday morning on West 86th Street were revealed by Assistant District Attorney Alexander Oltarsch, who called the attack on a 55-year-old Danish man “entirely unprovoked.”
Zinberg ran from his parked car and across Columbus Avenue, deliberately targeting the tourist in a bonkers pursuit, Oltarsch said.
“While the victim’s back was still turned to the defendant, the defendant continued to run down the sidewalk with knife in hand until he reached the victim, at which point he slashed the victim from behind across the right side of his face, though his ear and into his neck,” Oltarsch said.
The unhinged Zinberg allegedly drove off in his car, with a witness snapping a photo of his license plate, in part leading to his arrest early Thursday, the prosecutor said.
Zinberg’s mother also contacted cops after recognizing her disturbed son from surveillance footage showing the horrifying attack, sources previously told The Post.
When an NYPD officer arrested Zinberg, he told the cop he had a knife and openly worried about his car, according to the prosecutor.
“The only thing you guys really need is the knife, right?” Zinberg told the officer, according to Oltarsch. “I need my keys to go downtown. I basically live out of my car.”
Zinberg was also arraigned on an unrelated misdemeanor harassment charge for what Oltarsch called “threatening serious acts of violence” against someone on Instagram in May 2023.
The arraignment almost went off the rails as Zinberg, who appeared to try to twist out of his handcuffs, interrupted the judge several times.
As the arraignment ended, Zinberg shouted incomprehensibly about “paranoia” and “self-defense.”
His mother — who told NBC New York that her son had suffered mental health issues in recent years — sat through the hearing, writing vigorously in a small notebook.
She did not answer questions as court officers escorted her into a car waiting outside.
