A knife-wielding maniac stabbed a woman who objected to his comments about her looks outside a Manhattan watering hole on Kentucky Derby Day — then slashed a pair of good Samaritans who tried to intervene, prosecutors said Wednesday.
James Washington, 57, was indicted on several charges for the May 2 attack in the Meatpacking District that left three people injured — including one bystander who was so critically wounded that he had to have a tube inserted into his chest, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
“This case started with the defendant approaching two young women and began making derogatory comments as to their appearance, as to how they were dressed,” Assistant District Attorney Jesus Castaneda said in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“The confrontation escalated and the defendant then chased one of the young women and pulled her hair from the back and threw her down to the ground,” the prosecutor said.
A family that was nearby and witnessed the horrifying attack tried to intervene to nab Washington, according to the DA’s office.
Bystanders held him down until cops got to the scene outside of the Brass Monkey on Little West 12th Street and arrested him, prosecutors said.
But one good Samaritan was stabbed in the chest and hand, while a second required surgery, the DA’s office said.
Washington, wearing brown prison garb, shook his head and rolled his eyes as prosecutors detailed the bloody attacks during his arraignment on charges including attempted murder and assault.
He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $15,000 bail by Judge Gregory Carro, up from the $5,000 set at his first court appearance earlier this month. Prosecutors had requested $100,000 bail at the time.
Washington is due back in court on July 29.