Man charged with murder after deadly New York City stabbing spree
The suspect, identified by authorities as Ramon Rivera, 51, was taken into custody on Monday after he was found armed with two kitchen knives.
A man has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of three people across New York City, authorities said Tuesday.
The suspect, who officials said had "severe mental health issues," was taken into custody Monday after he was found with blood on his clothes and armed with two kitchen knives. New York police later identified the suspect as Ramon Rivera, 51.
Court records show he pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder classified as a serial killing. He is being held without bail.
Two of the victims killed in the attacks have been identified as Angel Lata Landi, 36, a construction worker of Peekskill, New York; and 36-year-old Wilma Augustin, of Manhattan. Police have said the third victim is a 67-year-old man but have not released his name since his family has yet to be notified of his death.
At a Monday news conference, Mayor Eric Adams said the stabbings amounted to "unprovoked attacks."
"Today we have three innocent New Yorkers going about their lives who were the victim of a terrible, terrible assault," Adams said while flanked by police leaders.
According to NYPD data, felonious assault has increased by about 5% since around this time last year. But other violent crimes such as murder, burglary, and grand larceny have decreased, police data shows.
Nationwide, violent crime decreased by an estimated 3% from 2022 to 2023, according to the FBI.
3 killed in stabbing spree across Manhattan
The rampage, which took place for about 2 1/2 hours across Manhattan, left police "searching for answers on how something like this could happen," Adams said.
The first attack was reported at 8:22 a.m. Monday on 19th Street when police said Rivera stabbed Lata Landi multiple times in the stomach at a construction site.
The second attack was reported about two hours later at 10:25 a.m. on 30th Street. An unidentified 67-year-old man was fishing when he was similarly stabbed more than once in the stomach.
Both the man and Lata Landi were taken to the same hospital and soon died from their injuries.
At 10:55 a.m., Rivera is suspected of carrying out his final attack, this time on a woman at the intersection of 42nd Street and 1st Avenue by the United Nations headquarters. Augustin, who was stabbed in the chest and left arm, was transported to a nearby hospital for care but later died.
"He just walked up to them and began to attack them with the knives," New York police Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said during the news conference. “No words exchanged. No property taken."
A cab driver who witnessed the third attack and believed it was a robbery followed the knife-wielding man while alerting police, Kenny said. When the man, now identified as Rivera, was taken into custody, police said he was wearing bloodstained clothes and armed with knives.
When reached by Paste BN on Tuesday, Legal Aid Society, a New York-based nonprofit legal services provider representing Rivera, declined to comment on the case.
NYC mayor: Suspect has 'severe mental health issues'
While Adams said officials were still reviewing Rivera's criminal record, he said there was "a real question on why he was on the street."
Rivera, who police said appeared to be homeless, has eight prior arrests on his record and had most recently been arrested in October for grand larceny. Adams also added that he has "severe mental health issues."
"It is a clear example of a criminal justice system, mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers," Adams said.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Minnah Arshad, Paste BN
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com