A man was arrested Friday for stabbing two men, one of whom died, outside a homeless drop-in center in Hell’s Kitchen, cops said.
Kareem Ruddock, 35, was identified by police as the knifeman who stabbed Rene Flores, 31, to death and wounded a 34-year-old man in the pre-dawn assault.
Ruddock is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. His arraignment remained pending Friday.
The victims were attacked outside the Urban Pathways Ninth Ave. Drop-In Center near W. 52nd St. around 4:45 a.m. on April 23, according to law enforcement.
Flores was stabbed multiple times in the torso. Medics rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he died.
The second victim was hospitalized in stable condition after being stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, police said.
Though police initially believed both victims were connected to the shelter, an NYPD spokesman on Friday said they were not residents of the facility.
It remains unclear what sparked the attack, but cops said the victims had no prior relation to their attacker.
The 24-hour drop-in center offers services, including charging stations, a kitchen and medical and laundry rooms. The 2024 opening of the facility met with some resistance from local community leaders, who had safety concerns.
Hell’s Kitchen resident Terrell Drummond, who opposed siting the drop-in center there, said homeless people hang around outside the place all hours of the night.
“That’s evil to be doing that in an area like this, because the area is really nice,” Drummond, 50, said of the stabbing. “It could get dangerous and sketchy in the night. You got to be careful.”
“The neighborhood is nice, but I think they changed it for the worse,” he added.
An Urban Pathways spokeswoman expressed condolences to the victims and their families in a statement.
“Violence is never the answer, but understanding and addressing its root causes must be,” the statement said.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the complex challenges facing the communities we serve — individuals navigating homelessness, trauma, mental health struggles, and systemic inequities every day … We are working closely with city partners and authorities as the investigation continues, and we will continue to show up for our community with unwavering compassion.”