THEATER OF THE ABSURD
MoMA wacko also wanted for 2 previous B’way-related incidents
The accused madman caught on camera stabbing two Museum of Modern Art workers after being denied entry to the iconic Midtown Manhattan culture hub taunted authorities as he remained on the lam Monday.
“I am yesterday’s news, no longer trending,” suspect Gary Cabana, 60, groused Monday morning on Instagram as the manhunt for him intensified. “Glad U care but U might want to care about the NEW Covid #outbreak in China.”
His two victims survived. But at the time of the attack, Cabana was already wanted for two earlier incidents involving him going ballistic after losing his job as a Broadway usher, sources told the Daily News on Monday.
As he evaded authorities Monday he urged the public and his pursuers to focus on COVID safety measures instead of his fugitive status.
“They just went back to 2020 w/ a billion person lockdown (2late),” he wrote of China.
“Kids r being sent back to online classes while billionaire Chinese head to America for R&R (like who wants to play the Lockdown game EVER again). Look to yourselves, MASK UP FOR ONCE IN 2 yrs.”
A 911 caller claimed to have spotted Cabana on Monday at Manhattan’s Church of St. Francis of Assisi on W. 31st near Sixth Ave. Cops evacuated the house of worship before going inside and conducting a search, according to witnesses. But Cabana was not there.
Cops showed parishioners pictures of the suspect, and one of the churchgoers believed she had seen him earlier in the day, a witness said.
Cabana is being sought for a misdemeanor assault incident and a harassment incident in addition to the stabbings, a source said.
The assault happened at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre, where Cabana showed up with a ticket on Jan. 2, some time after losing his job there. When a manager escorted him out, Cabana punched him, cops said.
In November, a harassment complaint was filed against Cabana when he sent a series of threatening emails to his union representative after losing his usher gig.
“Payback is coming,” he told the rep, according to cops. “F—k you c—t.”
Twice, Cabana allegedly went to a Hell’s Kitchen union office looking for the rep, officials said. She was worried because he had already assaulted a co-worker, she told police.
Cabana’s anger exploded Saturday at MoMA when he allegedly stabbed a man and woman, both 24, working behind the desk as they scrambled for cover, shocking surveillance video released the the NYPD the next day shows.
The male worker was stabbed in the collarbone behind the neck while the woman was knifed in the lower back and neck, police said. Both victims managed to escape, and medics took them to Bellevue Hospital, where they are expected to recover.
After running off, Cabana posted online that he is bipolar and the victim of a “frame job.”
Police said Cabana had his museum membership revoked Friday because of two past disruptions and he flew into a rage Saturday when he discovered he wouldn’t be allowed in to see a movie.
Cabana denied the prior disruptions in a Facebook rant.
“THERE WERE NO DISRUPTIONS,” Cabana wrote in the post. “Security NEVER escorted me from MoMA on the 2 ‘supposed’ days I ‘acted up’ 2⁄24 + 3⁄9. Total blind side ...”
He insisted his membership was revoked as a result of him laughing in a movie.
“NOTE to catty beeyotches of the world, words are sharper than knives,” he wrote. “Bipolar is a tough road to hoe. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. THEN U get framed and evicted from MoMA (not just the movies, ALL THE ART too) by a bitter old woman who shushes U when U LAUGH during a comedy.”
Friends told Gothamist that Cabana’s online screeds shifted from film critiques to angry posts about people who died after not following COVID protocols.
A favorite Cabana target was former President Donald Trump, whom Cabana blamed for allowing the pandemic to get worse.
Friends of Cabana said his mental issues became more severe under the strain of pandemic isolation.