Three unprovoked stabbings occurred across Manhattan on Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of two men and one woman, as reported by the New York City Police Department. A suspect is currently in custody.
The first incident took place around 8:22 a.m. when a 36-year-old male, identified as Angel Lata Landi of Peekskill, New York, was fatally stabbed in the abdomen by a 'light-skinned man' with a beard near a construction site in Chelsea. Despite being rushed to Bellevue Hospital, Landi was pronounced dead.
Approximately two hours later, at 10:25 a.m., a 67-year-old male was fishing near the East River when he was attacked and stabbed multiple times in the abdomen. Initially reported as 68 years old, the victim was also taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His identity is pending notification of his family.
The third stabbing occurred at around 10:55 a.m. when a 36-year-old woman, later identified as Wilma Augustin, was stabbed multiple times in the chest and left arm near the United Nations Headquarters. Despite being rushed to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Augustin tragically passed away due to her injuries.
The suspect, a 51-year-old male identified as Ramon Rivera, who appears to be homeless, was apprehended by the NYPD at 7:45 p.m. on Monday. Rivera was found with two bloody kitchen knives and was wearing blood-stained clothing. He has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and has a history of eight prior arrests, with the most recent being for grand larceny in October.
New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed concerns about the criminal justice and mental health systems, emphasizing the need to investigate why the suspect was on the streets despite a recent criminal sentence and potential mental health issues that were not evaluated.
