Female, 24, accused of fatally stabbing on-duty US postal worker; pair seemingly argued over who ordered first in Harlem deli

A 24-year-old female is accused of fatally stabbing an on-duty United States postal worker in a Harlem deli on Thursday afternoon, WABC-TV reported. New York City police said the pair seemingly argued over who ordered first before the dispute turned physical.

Jaia Cruz of Harlem was charged with second-degree murder, police told WPIX-TV.

‘She’s a nice young lady. She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people.’

Ray Hodges, 36, of the Bronx, was working his postal route when he went to get lunch at Joe’s Grocery at 168 Lenox Ave. around 2:30 p.m., police told WPIX.

As he was waiting to pay, an argument ensued over who was next in line, police told WPIX, adding that Cruz is accused of stabbing Hodges seven times.

WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment.

Hodges was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, WABC said, adding that a weapon has been recovered.

Investigators told WPIX a witness identified the suspect near the scene of the crime.

The New York Post, citing sources, said “the knife-wielding suspect went crazy and gutted the victim in the stomach after he stepped in front of her in line, leaving his blood smeared all over the floors and glass door.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told WPIX in a separate story that Hodges was a letter carrier and was on duty. WPIX said his postal cart was seen outside the deli.

A friend of the person of interest told WABC that it’s not in her friend’s character to attack another person without a reason and that she wouldn’t have hurt someone unless provoked.

“She’s a nice young lady,” the friend told WABC. “She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people. This is just a bad neighborhood. What had happened, I have no idea because I was not around yet. I don’t know. But I do know if she said it was in self defense, it was in self defense.”

Postal worker Kathy Singleton told WABC that Hodges “was a nice young man.”

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