Museum of Modern Art stabbing suspect faces judges on multiple charges in NYC
A Manhattan man accused of stabbing two Museum of Modern Art employees called himself an “usher turned serial killer” in an email to a previous alleged victim of his rage, court papers revealed Thursday.
Gary Cabana faced two Manhattan court appearances for three alleged crimes — including the museum knifing — when he arrived back in the city from Philadelphia.
The 60-year-old is accused of stabbing two MoMA workers on March 12, after he was denied entry to the W. 53rd St. museum, where he was a frequent visitor. Assistant District Attorney Matthew McCarthy attributed the violent outburst to Cabana’s membership being revoked.
Graphic surveillance video of the attack shows Cabana jumping over a ticket counter and shanking two terrified employees multiple times in the back, neck, and torso. Both survived their injuries.
After the bloodshed, Cabana fled to Pennsylvania, where he was arrested for setting a Best Western hotel on fire. His extradition to New York came after he pleaded guilty to charges in that case.
Cabana was arraigned on attempted murder charges in Manhattan Supreme court on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro. The jurist also ordered medical attention for Cabana at his lawyer’s request.
There is “no question” his client is dealing with significant mental health issues, the attorney said and asked that Cabana should continue to get the same medical care he did while in custody in the Keystone state.
“There’s obviously something very serious going on here,” the lawyer, Javier Damien told the Daily News. “The important thing is for him to continue treatment.”
When Cabana returned to New York on Wednesday, prosecutors charged him with assault and arson for unrelated crimes.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Cabana allegedly punched the manager of the Nederlander Theatre, where he worked until he was fired the previous October.
The manager, whose name was redacted from court documents, received 13 emails from Cabana between November and the week of the assault.
“Are you having fun torturing me? Guess what? Payback is coming,” Cabana wrote in one email, according to court documents. “Sincerely, Gary Cabana, Usher turned serial killer...”
A week before his MoMA rampage, on March 4, Cabana started a fire in an outdoor dining area outside Quality Bistro on W. 55th St., prosecutors said.
