Homeless Man Charged In Weekend Stabbing Arrested 64 Times Previously

YONKERS, NY — Yonkers police say a man, who shouldn't have been walking the streets in the first place, was behind a violent felony assault this weekend.

On Saturday, shortly before 12:30 p.m., Yonkers police responded to the area of 61 Riverdale Ave. after reports of a stabbing incident. Officers found that a 63-year-old Yonkers resident had a minor laceration to his forearm. The suspect, a 55-year-old homeless man, was soon identified and apprehended by patrol officers.

Police said they believe the victim and suspect knew one another and the incident appears to have been a personal dispute that escalated to physical violence when the suspect attacked the victim with a knife. The injured man was treated at a local area hospital. Officers recovered the knife at the scene.

The suspect, Samuel Areizaga, was arrested and booked on a felony charge of assault 2. Police noted that this was Areizaga's 65th arrest, with 60 prior convictions. He also has six open bench and arrest warrants with 19 failure to appear counts, according to authorities.