67-year-old IHOP worker stabbed to death in Brooklyn, police say
Victim followed into a restaurant bathroom and fatally stabbed minutes before closing; another man was slashed and declined treatment, NYPD says
A 67-year-old employee at an IHOP in Brooklyn was fatally stabbed late Friday night after being followed into a bathroom, the New York Police Department said.
Hector Reinoso-Perez was stabbed in the torso just before 11:40 p.m. inside the East New York pancake house, the NYPD said. The attack occurred just minutes before the eatery closed for the night. An unidentified 41-year-old man was also slashed in the hand during the incident and refused medical attention at the scene, police said.
Reinoso-Perez was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities. The assailant followed him into a bathroom and stabbed him, officials said; the attacker remained at large as of Saturday and no arrests had been announced.
The NYPD said an investigation is ongoing. Detectives were working to determine the motive and identify the person responsible for the attack. Police did not immediately release additional details about the suspect's description or whether surveillance footage from the restaurant was available.
The stabbing adds to a string of violent incidents in parts of New York City that have prompted increased police attention and public concern. East New York, a residential and commercial neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn, has seen efforts in recent years to address crime through community policing and neighborhood safety initiatives, city officials have said.
Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the NYPD. Media reports cited police sources and local television outlets for some of the details, and local law enforcement provided the primary account of the events and the status of the investigation.
No further details about Reinoso-Perez's background were released by police on Saturday. The investigation remains active and police have not disclosed whether they have identified any potential motive or connections between the victims and the assailant.