Screwball with 23 prior arrests stabs NYC vendor who asked him not to sleep near fruit stand: cops

A crazed man with 23 prior busts stabbed a Queens fruit vendor multiple times after he confronted him for sleeping next to his stand Sunday evening, cops and sources said.

Niser Cekic, 47, was snoozing on the ground near a fruit stand set up at 59th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Sunnyside around 5:45 p.m. when the worker – a 35-year-old man – woke him up, authorities and sources said.

Cekic then flew into a rage, stabbing the worker multiple times all over his body, cops said.

The injured man was taken to the Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

The knife was recovered at the scene, police said.

Officers caught up to Cekic, who was waiting for an MTA bus nearby, sources said.

The Bronx man – who has about 23 previous arrests on his rap sheet – was arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault causing serious injury with a weapon, reckless endangerment, menacing with a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment, authorities said.

Several of Cekic's prior busts have been for petit larceny, and he has also been arrested for trespassing, criminal possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping.

His arraignment on the new charges was pending Monday.