A letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service was stabbed to death while at a deli in Harlem, according to police.
The deadly incident occurred just after 2 p.m. Thursday at the deli on Lenox Avenue near 118th Street, officials said. The victim, 36-year-old Ray Hodges, was on the job when he was stabbed in the stomach, according to police.
An employee at the deli told NBC New York a fight broke out over a food order, as the suspect was upset the postal worker placed his order first.
Hodges was taken to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said he had been stabbed seven times.
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A person of interest was taken into custody immediately after, police said. Jaia Cruz, 24, was later charged with first-degree murder and manslaughter, police said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed that a letter carrier was killed and that the agency was working with the NYPD in their investigation.
No additional details were provided. The victim was not identified.
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An investigation is ongoing.
