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Author: anonymDate: 2024-11-20 16:52:36

Indicted individual in series of Manhattan stabbings faces court on homicide charges

The three victims were killed within a span of three hours.

An individual accused of fatally wounding three in an apparently motiveless stabbing series in Manhattan had his initial court appearance on Tuesday. Ramon Rivera, 51, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, per the New York City Police Department. Law enforcement sources state he admitted to the killings during interrogation. The judge on Tuesday acceded to the prosecution's motion for detention. Rivera's next court date is scheduled for November 22nd.

The assaults transpired within a three-hour period on Monday morning. The first casualty, 36-year-old Angel Lata Landi, suffered a fatal abdominal wound at 8:22 a.m. in a random attack near the construction site where he was employed on West 19th Street, according to the NYPD. Roughly two hours later, 67-year-old Chang Wang was fatally stabbed repeatedly on East 30th Street, police reported.

The third victim, 36-year-old Wilma Augustin, was assaulted around 10:55 a.m. at 42nd Street and First Avenue. She sustained multiple stab wounds and succumbed to her injuries at a hospital, authorities stated. The perpetrator -- residing at the Bellevue Men's Shelter on East 30th Street -- was apprehended near East 46th Street and First Avenue, police said.

He appeared to select his targets indiscriminately, according to police. "He simply approached them and launched his attack," Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny stated at a press briefing.

Two bloodstained kitchen knives were recovered, police reported. Rivera has a record of eight prior arrests in New York City, according to law enforcement, and is believed to have significant mental health issues, Mayor Eric Adams remarked. Rivera's case reignited public discontent over the city's shortcomings in addressing individuals experiencing mental health crises and managing those with a history of minor offenses. "There's a serious question as to how he remained at large," Adams stated. Rivera's prior arrests mainly involved petty theft, officials said. None involved a weapon. He was free without bail awaiting trial on his most recent charges. He had two documented encounters with city services while experiencing mental distress.