Upper West Side man who slashed Danish tourist deliberately targeted victim: DA

An unhinged assailant arrested for slashing a Danish tourist after his mother identified him to cops deliberately targeted the victim as he walked down a street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with two friends, prosecutors said in court Friday.

During Joshua Zinberg’s arraignment on attempted murder charges, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Alexander Oltarsh said Zinberg — who had been in a car — crept up to the tourist from behind and slashed him across the right side of his face “through the victim’s ear and into the victim’s neck with what appeared to be a knife.”

“This attack was entirely unprovoked,” Oltarsh said. “But it is clear that the defendant deliberately targeted the victim.”

Surveillance video shows Zinberg exiting his car and crossing Columbus Ave. to catch up with the tourist, Oltarsh explained. The reason why remains unclear.

“While the victim’s back was still turned to the defendant, the defendant continued to run down the sidewalk, knife in hand, until he reached victim,” he said.

During the appearance in Manhattan criminal court, Zinberg mouthed off to the judge and his attorney, claiming his victim was “f—— with someone’s paranoia.”  His bond was set at $150,000.

“Can I speak for myself? I think I can speak for myself!” Zinberg, wearing a white Tyvek suit, barked before Judge Janet McDonnell in Manhattan Criminal Court as his attorney recommended he receive psychological care.

He interrupted the proceeding to the point that he was escorted back to a holding area for a few minutes.

“When someone is f—— with someone’s paranoia…” he said as he was taken out of the courtroom.

Zinberg, 25, is accused of attacking a 55-year-old tourist from Denmark on W. 86th St. near Columbus Ave. at about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, cops said. The tourist is a former professional soccer player, ABC7 Eyewitness News says.

Zinberg, in a separate matter, has also been charged with aggravated harassment for sending threatening text messages to a 32-year-old co-worker in April 2023, officials said. The content of the texts weren’t immediately disclosed.

Zinberg spat at news reporters and photographers when he was led out of the 20th Precinct stationhouse in handcuffs Thursday afternoon to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court.

“That’s for all of you,” he said to the gathered journalists. “Do it for the clicks!”

“You guys don’t know s–t,” he said after a reporter shouted a question about his mother turning him in.

When he was brought back to court following his antics on Friday, Judge McDonnell set bail at $150,000 for the slashing attack and for sending the texts to his co-worker.

After the attack, “the victim then turned around, only to see the defendant running back the way he came,” the ADA explained. A witness took down Zinberg’s license plate, which helped police track him down.

Cops recovered surveillance footage of the slasher wearing a T-shirt and shorts. After they released the footage to the media, Zinberg’s mother came forward, telling police they were looking for her son, sources said. Zinberg lives with his parents in an apartment building just around the corner from where the attack took place.

Zinberg’s attorney disputed the attempted murder charges, claiming that his client was “a little bit overcharged.”

He also said Zinberg may have a “mental disease” and desperately needs an psychological evaluation.

A relative attending the arraignment proceeding declined to speak to reporters as she hurried out of the courthouse.

According to police, Zinberg allegedly came up behind the tourist — who was walking with two companions — before slashing him from the right ear, along the right cheek down to his neck.

“F–k you, guys!” he reportedly shouted at the trio before running off.

The victim’s friends and the super of a nearby building aided the wounded tourist, giving him a shirt, towel, and a rag to apply to his wound before a nurse who lives in a nearby building gave the victim an ice pack. The man was taken by medics to Mount Sinai Morningside for treatment.

The bloody assault comes on the heels of a horrific random triple murder that played out on Manhattan’s streets earlier in the week. On Monday, three people were stabbed to death in the string of unprovoked knife attacks, which spanned from Chelsea to Kips Bay to near the United Nations. Ramon Rivera, 51, has been charged with murder in each of those three attacks.

Originally Published: November 22, 2024 at 11:55 AM EST

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