Crime and Courts

Hanukkah Stabbing Victim Dies 3 Months After New York Attack

The 72-year-old was one of five victims stabbed while attending a Hanukkah celebration

NBC Universal, Inc.

Josef Neumann has died three months after a deadly stabbing attack that left him in a coma, community officials say.

The 72-year-old was one of five people stabbed while attending a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York. Neumann was left in a coma with a fractured skill and other injuries.

"We are sad to inform you that Yosef Neumann who was stabbed during the Hanukah attack in Monsey late Dec 2019, passed away this evening," the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council tweeted.

Members of the Monsey community have described Neumann as a "very special, kind, and gentle human being. One of the most selfless human beings that I know."

Neumann's family says he is a father of seven children, grandfather, great-grandfather and a brother to several siblings.

The alleged attacker, 37-year-old Grafton Thomas, is facing federal and local charges.

Thomas has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges in Rockland County. He pleaded not guilty to 10 hate-crime charges in federal court on Jan. 13.

Copyright NBC New York
Contact Us