Philadelphia park ranger stabbing being investigated as hate crime, sources say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A stabbing in Rittenhouse Square that left a 40-year-old city park ranger injured is now being investigated as a crime of hate, Philadelphia police sources said Monday.
Sources said the accused attacker, Thomas Riceman, 34, of University City, allegedly said while stabbing the park ranger, "Go back to your country, you immigrant." The 34-year-old has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation, terroristic threats and related offenses, police said.
Police sources told CBS News Philadelphia that Riceman allegedly walked into the park ranger's security booth on the 1800 block of Walnut Street and lay on the ground just after 4:15 p.m. Sunday. Once the park ranger tried to get him to leave the booth, sources said, Riceman allegedly jumped up and stabbed him.
While the park ranger suffered multiple stab wounds to his head and face, sources said he was still able to handcuff Riceman and stop him from leaving while police responded.
Douglas Ortelere was in the park on Monday and told CBS News Philadelphia he rarely questions his safety there.
"That's just atrocious," Ortelere said. "I've never ever seen anything here in this park, at all, ever, anything like the episode you just did describe."
It's unclear how many times the park ranger was stabbed, but police said they recovered a pair of scissors that the park ranger was stabbed with. The park ranger was taken to Jefferson Hospital and is expected to survive, sources said.