A 24-year-old transgender New Yorker, identified as Jaia Cruz, also known as Alvin, has been charged with murder for allegedly stabbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Ray Hodge III, to death. The incident occurred at a deli on Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York City, on Thursday afternoon.

According to reports, Cruz and Hodge were standing in line when an argument broke out. Cruz allegedly spit in Hodge's face and then stabbed him multiple times in the stomach, neck, and arms. Hodge, a 36-year-old father of two, was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.

Cruz has a criminal history that includes prior acts of knife violence. The suspect's attorney waived their client's right to appear in court on Wednesday, and arraignment was scheduled for January 22.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is asking anyone with additional information on the case to call investigators at 1-877-876-2455. The agency takes matters involving the safety and well-being of postal service employees as a top priority.

This incident follows the July 19 ambush murder of another mail carrier, Octavia Redmond, in Chicago. Redmond was shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy who allegedly jumped out of a stolen SUV and opened fire.

The tragic deaths of Hodge and Redmond highlight the dangers faced by postal workers across the country. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with law enforcement agencies to investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.