Gary Cabana was arrested at a Philadelphia bus station for Saturday’s MoMA stabbing – and he’s now being tied to an arson too. Romney Smith reports.
What to Know
- Two staffers at the MoMA were stabbed inside the Manhattan museum on Saturday
- Police said the suspect is a former museum member who was denied access and hopped a reception desk to attack the workers
- Both employees were rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said; the suspect is now in custody
The former Museum of Modern Art member accused of stabbing two employees when he was denied entry into the Manhattan facility over the weekend has been arrested in Philadelphia.
Gary Cabana, 60, was picked up at the Greyhound bus terminal sleeping on a bench early Tuesday, authorities said. Two senior NYPD officials with knowledge of the investigation said the apprehension came hours after firefighters responded to a report of a suspicious fire at a hotel, a Best Western Plus, on Vine Street in Philly.
The hotel receptionist called authorities to say a guest appeared to match Cabana's description. Philadelphia police canvassed the area and found Cabana on the bench, which was about a half-mile from the hotel, the NYPD officials said.
He spontaneously uttered, according to those officials, "I'm the guy you're looking for. I had a bad day."
Cops had been looking for Cabana since the shocking weekend attack at MoMA. He also now faces charges in that Monday hotel fire.
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Video taken from inside the MoMA shows the moment Cabana hopped the desk and cornered several workers before stabbing two of them.
A man wearing a suit and holding what appears to be a walkie-talkie is seen trying to stop the suspect from the other side of the counter. He's seen throwing numerous projectiles at the suspect in an attempt to stop the attack.
Eventually, both victims were able to run past their attacker amid the chaos.
Cabana is accused of trying to gain access to the museum to see a film but was denied because his membership had been revoked a day earlier for repeat disturbances, John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said at a press conference Saturday evening.
News
Miller also said a letter informing Cabana that his membership had ended was sent out Friday.
After he wasn't allowed past the museum entrance, police sayn he jumped over the reception desk around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and stabbed two employees -- a 24-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man -- multiple times.
The museum staffers were stabbed in the back, collarbone, and neck, according to Miller's report. He said both victims were expected to survive.
Cabana took to social media in the days after the attack with a series of rambling posts denying he'd misbehaved prior to losing his membership. He also tried to minimize the attack, saying it was a "poke poke poke wake-up call" and accusing staff of framing him.
But Philadelphia authorities said Cabana was cooperative after being arrested. He is likely to face arson charges for the blaze at a Center City location of Best Western Monday afternoon, and could face extradition to New York City as well.
Additional video captured Cabana leaving the museum after the attack. He was seen wearing a black jacket and blue face mask, police said. He's also described by police as a museum regular, someone with whom staff was familiar.
Videos posted to social media showed dozens of people leaving the museum as officials moved in to commandeer the scene.
The museum was full of visitors during Saturday's late winter snowstorm when the attack happened. Among those inside was David Dujerko, who was visiting from Chicago.
"Suddenly they said 'the museum's closed' and people started running. Little panic onth escalators and then they started shouting 'get out, get out for your own safety,'" Dujerko said.
Closed since the attack, the MoMA is due to reopen Tuesday.
