The killing of a 30-year-old woman came two days after a mother of five was fatally shot elsewhere in the neighborhood.
NEW YORK — A 30-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in a Crown Heights park early Tuesday, marking the neighborhood’s second reported homicide in three days as police investigated separate killings and searched for suspects in both cases.
The woman was found shortly after 12:40 a.m. inside Lincoln Terrace Park near Eastern Parkway and Rochester Avenue, police said. She had suffered multiple stab wounds and was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where she died. Her name had not been released Tuesday pending notification of her family.
Police said the stabbing followed a dispute involving the woman and a man. A witness identified as the victim’s cousin told investigators that the woman had been involved in a verbal argument before she was attacked. Police said a man fled toward Rochester Avenue afterward and was last seen without a shirt and wearing gray sweatpants. No arrest had been announced.
The killing came two days after 33-year-old Sofronie Hartzog, a mother of five, was fatally shot in another part of Crown Heights. Police said gunfire erupted early Sunday near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue after an argument among a large group. Hartzog was struck in the back and later died at a hospital. A 34-year-old man was also wounded and was reported in stable condition.
Police have not said the two killings are connected. They occurred at different locations and involved different forms of violence, and investigators have released no information suggesting the same people were involved. The timing, however, placed renewed attention on public safety in the neighborhood as detectives pursued separate investigations.
At Lincoln Terrace Park on Tuesday, investigators concentrated on an area near benches and grass where personal belongings and other items could be seen. Police also questioned people who may have been in the area. Authorities had not said whether the items were connected to the stabbing or whether surveillance video had helped investigators identify the person who fled.
Some people who use the park said they are more cautious there after dark. One neighborhood resident told CBS New York that she avoids walking her dog late at night or early in the morning because of safety concerns. Police patrols are commonly seen during daytime hours, residents said, while the atmosphere can change when the park becomes less active overnight.
Several important questions about Tuesday’s stabbing remained unanswered. Police had not disclosed a motive, said whether the victim and the man knew each other, identified a weapon or announced the name of a suspect. Authorities also had not released the woman’s identity as of Tuesday.
Both Crown Heights homicide investigations remained active Tuesday. Police were still searching for the man who fled Lincoln Terrace Park, while the person responsible for Hartzog’s fatal shooting also remained at large. Authorities had announced no connection between the cases and no arrests in the park stabbing.
Author note: Last updated August 18, 2026.