An on-duty United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier was mortally wounded by a stabbing incident inside a Harlem, New York City deli on the afternoon of January 2, 2025. The incident, which was sparked by a dispute over who was next on line, marked the city’s third recorded murder within the first 48 hours of the new year.
The postal worker, 36-year-old Ray Hodges, who was stationed in the Harlem district of Manhattan, was at Joe’s Grocery on 168 Lenox Avenue to order a sandwich. Around 2:40 p.m., he found himself entangled in a heated argument with a fellow customer, as per police reports.
Janet Rich, a witness who was at the deli to buy coffee, noted that the altercation started when a female customer accused Hodges of jumping the queue. The argument soon escalated into a loud disagreement about who should be served next. Rich, along with another customer, intervened twice in an attempt to calm the situation, but their efforts were fruitless.
A woman at the scene urged Hodges to walk away from the fight, reminding him of his stable job. According to Rich, Hodges took off his coat, suggesting his readiness to continue the confrontation, but she tried to defuse the tension by putting his coat back on him.
Rich characterized the female instigator as very tall, around 6 feet 5 inches, and appearing to be under the influence of narcotics, showing symptoms like frothing at the mouth.
Despite the intervention attempts by other customers and deli workers, the situation took a violent turn. The alleged assailant, 24-year-old Jaia Cruz, pulled out a small steak knife and stabbed Hodges at least three times. Law enforcement sources state that Hodges was stabbed multiple times in the stomach, leaving a trail of blood across the deli’s floor and glass door.
Emergency services promptly transported Hodges to the nearby Harlem Hospital, where he was declared dead. Cruz was arrested on the spot, and the knife was recovered by police. She now faces charges of second-degree murder and is detained at the 28th Precinct.
A postal agency spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating, “On January 2, 2025, a USPS letter carrier, assigned to Manhattan, was the victim of a homicide. The safety and well-being of our employees is a top priority for the Postal Inspection Service. We are working closely with the New York State Police Department in this investigation.”
Dr. Iesha Sekou, CEO and founder of Street Corner Resources, a group dedicated to violence prevention, stayed at the hospital for several hours to offer comfort to Hodges’ family. Sekou’s organization is alerted whenever violent acts bring victims to Harlem Hospital. She voiced her concern about the increasing frequency of these notifications and the heightened alertness required during the holiday season, contributing to a climate of fear and diminished morale in the community.
This incident was the third homicide in New York City in the first two days of 2025. The first homicide occurred early Wednesday morning when a 50-year-old man was found with fatal cuts to his neck at West 137th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem. An hour later, 46-year-old Mario Fowler was shot dead in front of an apartment building in the Claremont Village area of the Bronx. Fowler, who had multiple gunshot wounds on his legs, was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.
The United States Postal Inspection Service is collaborating with the New York City Police Department on the ongoing investigation. A deli worker, who wished to remain anonymous due to the active investigation, disclosed that footage from the security camera has been handed over to law enforcement officials.
