French Tourist Gets His Throat Slashed In Crazed Attack During Surprise Visit To New York

A surprise Valentine’s date took an untoward turn after a man had his throat slashed in a crazed attack.

Gabriel Bascou, 28, was looking forward to visiting New York and being with his partner Manon Duma, 23, on Friday. But, what awaited him was a gruesome attack—which left a deep gash on his neck from ear-to-ear, with a tube coming from his throat after a tracheotomy, as shown in the pictures that Bascou shared on social media.

While a further probe is underway, cops have nabbed 28-year-old local Khalief Young as the prime suspect. Young has a criminal history and has reportedly carried out at least two attacks prior to this. He currently faces two counts of assault in the second degree.

Bascou, a resident of Paris, was attacked and slashed in the face and neck just as soon as they checked out of IHOP on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard near West 132nd Street, after a late breakfast date.

Bascou admitted to taking the time to process what was happening as things began spiraling out of control. On seeing blood stream down his throat, his girlfriend cried for help and for passers-by to call the cops. Eventually, an ambulance was called for and Duma, a former nurse, intervened to stem the blood flow. “The people around me seemed terrified,” he said, during a WhatsApp interview with the New York Post. Despite the chaos, the young man tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

While he’s currently recuperating, he has been left with a lung infection as well as his knife wounds. Duma maintained that the incident felt her so shaken that she 'hasn't slept' since the attack but was relieved that police nabbed the prime suspect, who was found roaming the streets at 3.50 pm on Monday afternoon.

Bascou mentioned that he was 'super excited' to learn that the cops had someone in custody. "I want my girlfriend to stay safe here," he said. "If they caught someone in just a few days, they did a great job."

Close friends and relatives have started an online fundraiser to help raise funds to pay the medical bills.