New York City police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on March 12, 2022. - Two people were stabbed at New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art on Saturday, police said, causing the museum to be evacuated. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP)
New York City police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on March 12, 2022. - Two people were stabbed at New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art on Saturday, police said, causing the museum to be evacuated. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP)
New York City police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on March 12, 2022. - Two people were stabbed at New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art on Saturday, police said, causing the museum to be evacuated. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP)
New York City police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on March 12, 2022. - Two people were stabbed at New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art on Sa

Man wanted in New York museum stabbing arrested in Philadelphia


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A man wanted in connection with the stabbing of two employees at New York City's Museum of Modern Art has been apprehended in Philadelphia, authorities told local media on Tuesday.

Gary Cabana was found sleeping on a bench at a Greyhound bus terminal and arrested without incident, 6ABC Action News reported.

Gary Cabana was denied entry to the museum for past incidents. Photo: NYPD
Gary Cabana was denied entry to the museum for past incidents. Photo: NYPD

“We got information that this individual was also suicidal and was suffering from some mental health issues so we realised he was armed and very dangerous,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told the ABC affiliate.

Police tracked down Mr Cabana after he checked into a Best Western hotel in Philadelphia and set a fire in a fifth-floor room earlier in the night, the news station reported.

It is unclear why Mr Cabana was visiting Philadelphia and local police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr Cabana was wanted by police on suspicion of stabbing two MoMA employees on Saturday after they refused to let him enter the museum, as he had previously been barred for unruly behaviour. Surveillance footage showed the assailant fleeing the museum moments after the stabbing.

The two victims, both women, were taken to hospital after sustaining several stab wounds to their upper bodies. Both are expected to survive, New York police said.

New York police launched a manhunt for Mr Cabana, whom they said was familiar to MoMA staff. He was also known to police from previous incidents of disorderly conduct, including at least one that had been reported at the museum in recent days, police said.

  • A police officer stands behind a curtain inside New York's Museum of Modern Art after two of its employees were stabbed. Reuters
    A police officer stands behind a curtain inside New York's Museum of Modern Art after two of its employees were stabbed. Reuters
  • Medical teams arrive after the stabbing incident. AP
    Medical teams arrive after the stabbing incident. AP
  • A police officer stands guard after Moma was evacuated following the stabbings. AFP
    A police officer stands guard after Moma was evacuated following the stabbings. AFP
  • A New York Police Department officer closes the entrance of the museum. AFP
    A New York Police Department officer closes the entrance of the museum. AFP
  • An officer on guard. AFP
    An officer on guard. AFP
  • Police said the man accused of the stabbing had been denied entrance to the museum. AFP
    Police said the man accused of the stabbing had been denied entrance to the museum. AFP
  • The museum is evacuated after the attack. Police said both victims were in a stable condition at Bellevue Hospital. AP
    The museum is evacuated after the attack. Police said both victims were in a stable condition at Bellevue Hospital. AP
  • An investigator at the museum. AFP
    An investigator at the museum. AFP
  • Police officers guard the entrance to the museum. Reuters
    Police officers guard the entrance to the museum. Reuters
  • Police in the museum lobby, where two employees were stabbed. Reuters
    Police in the museum lobby, where two employees were stabbed. Reuters
  • A crowd gathers outside at the Museum of Modern Art in New York after a man stabbed two employees AP
    A crowd gathers outside at the Museum of Modern Art in New York after a man stabbed two employees AP
Updated: March 15, 2022, 3:28 PM