2 Stabbed, 3 Slashed During Fight At Illegal Club In Washington Heights
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for two suspects after a fight in an illegal after-hours social club ends with two people stabbed and three others slashed in Washington Heights.
It happened around 6 a.m. Wednesday on Amsterdam Avenue near 171st Street in an unmarked club under a tax office that police say is a hotbed for illegal gambling.
Police said two men stabbed a 24-year-old woman and 31-year-old man in the stomach. They then slashed a 28-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman across the chest and left a 30-year-old woman with a gash across the face, police said.
CBS2's cameras caught one person wrapped in a sheet being taken out in a gurney while investigators filed in and out of the illegal hangout collecting evidence.
All five were taken to area hospitals, but are expected to be OK.
The underground bar is described by neighbors as a pool hall and nightclub that's known to be a gaming hot spot, open all hours of the night and early morning, CBS2's Magdalena Doris reported.
"I've seen some weird activity. I tried to not get involved in that, so I keep my eyes away from that," said resident Josue Nunez. "People going in going out, a lot of people late at night."
According to the NYPD, complaints against the social club, which is unlicensed to operate, included illegal betting and the club was investigated by NYPD intelligence division. In 2011, there were arrests made at the club for drug sales.
Investigators said the fight Wednesday morning was over an unpaid debt. Police are still looking for the suspects.
The investigation is ongoing.