MoMA stabbing suspect Gary Cabana makes first NYC court appearance
The madman accused of flying into a rage and stabbing two workers at the Museum of Modern Art last year stayed uncharacteristically mum during his arraignment in Manhattan court Thursday.
Gary Cabana, 60 — who was chatty online and taunted cops while on the run — appeared subdued during the hearing, where Judge Gregory Carro remanded him into custody and ordered him not to have contact with anyone from the museum.
Cabana, who was extradited to New York from Philadelphia this week, allegedly hopped a reception desk and knifed two 24-year-old museum employees after he was turned away from a screening of “Bringing Up Baby” on March 12, 2022.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew McCarthy said during the hearing that Cabana has a lengthy rap sheet and was a dangerous flight risk.
“The people are requesting that the defendant stays in remand status at this point,” McCarthy told the judge — adding that Cabana fled to Philly after the MoMa rampage and committed arson there two days later.
“The defendant proceeded into the hallway to a hotel in Philadelphia, removed all of the fire extinguishers from the hallway, proceeded to set his hotel room on fire,” McCarthy said. “[He] stood by the emergency door until smoke had filled the hallway until finally fleeing.”
Cabana remained stoic and tight-lipped in court, speaking only to enter a not guilty plea — in stark contrast to the verbose and bizarre social media rants he made as a fugitive, and his gabby nature at the time of his Philly arrest.
“NOTE to catty beeyotches of the world, words are sharper than knives,” he posted on Facebook, along with a string of incoherent babble, one day after the rampage.
When Philly cops arrested him later, he allegedly told them, “I’m the guy you’re looking for… I snapped.”
He then bizarrely praised the cops, saying, “[You] just made the United States safe, I am public enemy number one. F—k the NYPD I appreciate you guys, you are the best in the country.”
Cabana allegedly stabbed a female employee in the back and a male in the left collar bone as they ducked under the desk to get away.
Both were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and later recovered from the injuries.
“As alleged, Gary Cabana brutally stabbed two employees of this historic cultural institution simply because he was banned from entering,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a press release Thursday.
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their workplace, and we will not tolerate violence against hardworking New Yorkers.”
Before the crazed attack, Cabana’s museum membership had been revoked due to two previous outbursts, police said.
He allegedly fled the Big Apple for Philadelphia, where he was arrested three days later sleeping at a Greyhound bus stop.
On Tuesday, Cabana was extradited to New York City and charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault. His attorney Javier Damien said he would make a bail request at a later date.
Cabana was also arraigned in Manhattan Wednesday night on two separate complaints, including one on four unrelated assault charges for allegedly punching a man in the face outside the Nederlander Theater on West 41st, where he previously worked, on Jan. 2, 2022.
Cabana was also charged with setting fire to the outside of a bistro on West 55th Street near Sixth Avenue ablaze on March 9, 2021.
