Who Is Nicholas Attalla AKA Niky Sal? Tim Hortons Fight Charges

Nicholas Attalla, better known online as “Niky Sal,” is an Erie, Pennsylvania-area social media influencer who operates accounts devoted to confronting people he believes are attempting to meet minors for sexual purposes. In September 2026, Attalla was charged with three offenses stemming from a violent December 2025 confrontation at a Tim Hortons in Jamestown, New York, where Attalla was stabbed and seriously injured.

Nicholas Attalla Charged

Police Charged Attalla Months After The Tim Hortons Fight. Jamestown police charged Attalla in September 2026 with third-degree assault, second-degree criminal nuisance and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the December 13, 2025 confrontation. WIVB

The Charges Came After A Lengthy Police Investigation. Initial reporting following the incident focused on Attalla as the victim of a stabbing. The later investigation resulted in charges not only against Attalla but also additional charges against James Morris and charges against Eric Spencer. WIVB

Third-Degree Assault Is A New York Misdemeanor Assault Charge. New York law permits a third-degree assault charge under circumstances including intentionally or recklessly causing physical injury to another person. The reporting on Attalla’s case has not specified which statutory theory prosecutors are relying upon. NY Penal Law

Attalla Is Also Charged With Second-Degree Criminal Nuisance. Under New York law, second-degree criminal nuisance can apply when someone knowingly or recklessly creates a condition endangering the safety or health of a considerable number of people through unlawful or unreasonable conduct. The offense is classified as a Class B misdemeanor. NY Penal Law

The Third Charge Is Endangering The Welfare Of A Child. Police also charged Attalla with child endangerment. New York law prohibits knowingly acting in a way likely to harm the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child under 17. NY Penal Law

The Tim Hortons Confrontation

The Fight Happened At A Tim Hortons In Jamestown. Police were called shortly after 12:30 p.m. on December 13, 2025 to the Tim Hortons on South Main Street in Jamestown after a physical confrontation broke out inside the restaurant. WRFA

Attalla Confronted James Morris And Eric Spencer. According to the updated police account reported by WIVB, Attalla approached Morris, 43, and Spencer, 42, and accused Morris of attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl. WIVB

Police Say Attalla Identified Morris Based On His Voice. Investigators said Attalla accused and threatened Morris based “solely” on a telephone conversation and what he believed he recognized as Morris’ voice. WIVB

The Accusation Escalated Into A Physical Fight. Police said a fight broke out after the confrontation. During the incident Attalla suffered a severe laceration to his arm and ultimately required hospital treatment. WIVB

Police Say The Fight Reached A Family With A One-Year-Old Child. The updated police account says the physical confrontation spilled over into a family that included a one-year-old child. Attalla, Morris and Spencer subsequently faced child-endangerment charges connected to the incident. WIVB

Police Say Phone Records Did Not Support Prior Contact

Investigators Say Attalla, Morris And Spencer Had Not Been Communicating By Phone. Jamestown police said phone records established that none of the three men had phone contact with one another leading up to the confrontation. WIVB

That Account Differs Significantly From Early Reporting. Immediately after the stabbing, associates of Attalla told WKBW that their group had gone to the Tim Hortons to confront Morris because they believed he was the person who had arranged to meet a minor. Police’s later account says Attalla’s identification of Morris was instead based on the phone conversation and his voice, while investigators found no phone contact among Attalla, Morris and Spencer. WKBW WIVB

Nicholas Attalla Was Stabbed

James Morris Allegedly Stabbed Attalla During The Fight. Police said Morris stabbed Attalla in the arm during the altercation. Officers located Morris a short distance from the restaurant and arrested him. WRFA

Attalla Suffered A Large Laceration. He was initially taken to UPMC Chautauqua and later transferred to UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pennsylvania, for additional treatment. WKBW

Attalla’s Associates Said The Injury Was Serious. Ethan Haskins and Paul Oyer told WKBW after the incident that Attalla initially had difficulty moving his hand and fingers and was expected to undergo additional medical treatment after swelling subsided. WKBW

James Morris Charges

Morris Initially Faced Serious Charges Over The Stabbing. Police charged Morris with first-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence following the incident. WIVB WRFA

Police Later Added Two More Charges Against Morris. As part of the later investigation, Morris was additionally charged with second-degree criminal nuisance and endangering the welfare of a child. WIVB

Eric Spencer Charges

Eric Spencer Was Also Charged. Police charged Spencer with second-degree criminal nuisance and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the same confrontation. WIVB

Who Is Niky Sal?

Nicholas Attalla Uses The Name Niky Sal Online. Attalla has operated an Erie-area group whose members pose online as minors and communicate with adults they believe are seeking sexual contact with children before confronting them publicly. Herald-Standard

Attalla Has Rejected The Description Of His Group As Vigilantes. In a March 2025 interview, Attalla told the Herald-Standard that his group considered itself to be documenting and reporting suspected crimes rather than taking the place of police. Herald-Standard

Prosecutors And Legal Experts Have Warned About Civilian Predator-Hunting Operations. Pennsylvania prosecutors interviewed by the Herald-Standard said investigations performed by private groups can create evidentiary and legal complications because undercover investigations involving purported minors are normally conducted by trained law-enforcement personnel. Herald-Standard

Earlier Niky Sal Cases

Attalla’s Group Had Previously Conducted Similar Public Confrontations. Before the Jamestown incident, Niky Sal had conducted online decoy operations in Pennsylvania and Western New York, sometimes contacting police after arranging meetings with people the group accused of communicating sexually with minors. Herald-Standard

Attalla Had Recently Been Featured In Western New York News Coverage. WKBW reported in December 2025 that his group had also confronted a man at the Walden Galleria after alleging the man expected to meet a minor. WKBW

Case Status

The September Charges Are The Latest Major Development. As of September 9, 2026, the publicly available reporting confirms the three charges against Attalla but does not provide a reported plea, trial date or final disposition. The charges are allegations, and Attalla has not been convicted of the offenses described above. WIVB