U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III was the target of a knife attack Tuesday in downtown Albany, prompting a swift law enforcement response and attempted murder charges against the suspect.
Authorities said Saul Morales-Garcia, a Salvadoran national previously deported from the U.S., approached Sarcone with a knife while shouting in a foreign language near the Hilton Hotel. Sarcone evaded the initial attack by fleeing into the hotel lobby, but Morales-Garcia allegedly charged at him a second time, making a throat-slitting gesture.
Sarcone alerted Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. and kept a safe distance while attempting to prevent Morales-Garcia from fleeing. Sheriff’s deputies arrived and took the suspect into custody. The knife was recovered at the scene.
“I felt an obligation to the public as the chief Federal law enforcement officer in the district that includes the city of Albany,” Sarcone said. “I feared for my life but I couldn’t let this individual harm and potentially kill others.”
Sheriff Apple praised Sarcone’s actions, stating, “U.S. Attorney John Sarcone’s selfless actions likely saved lives.”
Morales-Garcia faces multiple state charges including attempted second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing. He was remanded without bail following a court appearance and is subject to an order of protection. Federal authorities, including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, are reviewing the case for possible additional charges.
Sarcone, who was appointed in March, confirmed that his office is recused from prosecuting the illegal re-entry charge, which has been transferred to the Southern District of New York.
“The citizens of Albany, and visitors who come to Albany, should be able to feel safe walking down our streets,” Sarcone said, calling for continued federal and local collaboration against violent crime.
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