FBI Investigating Possible Link Between Monsey Stabbings

The FBI is investigating whether the man charged with the Chanukah stabbing attack in Monsey was also involved in the stabbing attack on a Monsey rebbi in November, a source familiar with the investigation tells Hamodia.

When police arrested Grafton Thomas, the man charged with five counts of attempted murder and hate crimes for stabbing five people at a Chanukah event last Motzoei Shabbos, they found in his rented Nissan Sentra a bloody knife believe to have been used in the attack, as well as another knife with dried blood and hair.

Further investigation reveals that Thomas’ family owns a Honda Pilot, the same type of vehicle used in the attack Nov. 20 on Rabbi Mordechai Schlesinger, while the Monsey rebbi was walking to shul. No arrests have been made in that attack.

The Pilot was impounded by the FBI, and DNA tests are being conducted on the second knife found in the Sentra, to determine whether it is Schlesinger’s.

Rabbi Schlesinger still has not regained vision in one eye and is suffering serious pain. One victim of the Chanukah stabbing, Rabbi Yehosef Neumann, remains is in critical condition.

Readers are asked to daven for the refuah sheleima of Mordechai ben Bracha and Yehosef ben Perel, besoch she’ar cholei Yisrael.

—

rborchardt@hamodia.com