Gary Cabana.
The man accused of stabbing two staffers at the Museum of Modern Art in New York was arrested over in Philadelphia early Tuesday. Gary Cabana, 60, had set fire to a hotel room, according to Philly cops.
NYC cops have been looking for Cabana, saying he’s the man who attacked two MoMA employees. Officers said the suspect showed up Saturday to watch a movie, but his membership had been revoked over two prior incidents of “disorderly conduct.” The letter informing Cabana of this went out Friday, said John Miller, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism.
With that in mind, it is unclear if he allegedly arrived at the museum planning to cause trouble, but whatever his intent, he is accused of stabbing a man and woman in the back, collarbone, and back of the neck. Officers described the victims as being in stable condition.
The search ended early Tuesday, with Philadelphia police saying security guards at a Greyhound Bus Terminal saw Cabana inside the station. Officers said they arrived to find the suspect sleeping on a bench. This was after he allegedly set a fire in two trash cans at a hotel room. He lit toilet paper and other paper products, officers said.
“There was substantial smoke damage throughout the room due to the fire,” police wrote in a statement obtained by Law&Crime. “An image of the male who rented the room was provided to police and distributed as a Patrol Alert. It was discovered that the male was probably near a train station or bus terminal as he was on his way to see a relative in Florida.”
Cabana faces extradition to New York.
The suspect being sought for the below incident has been apprehended by @PhillyPolice. The investigation is ongoing. https://t.co/V4N2SgIqw5
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 15, 2022
Friends said that Cabana lived with mental health challenges, which got worse during the pandemic, according to Gothamist. The Broadway-loving usher lost his job from theaters getting shut down.
“COVID hit him hard as far as loneliness,” said actor and singer Anna Blair, who also knew him in college. “Nobody was able to visit him.”
Signs of worsening behavior included more intense, angry social media posts. This included lashing out at bar employees he claimed had wronged him.
Nonetheless, friends also said the attack was out of character for Cabana.
“It wouldn’t have ever occurred to me that he might lash out,” said Tara Varney, who went to Missouri State University with him as a theater student.
[Image via NYPD]
