On Monday morning, 51-year-old homeless man Ramon Rivera carried out a series of random stabbings in Manhattan, New York, within just two and a half hours, resulting in the deaths of three people, including an elderly Chinese man fishing by the riverbank. Rivera, who now faces three counts of first-degree murder, had only been released from prison a month prior to the tragic incident.
Prior to the stabbings, Rivera had a criminal history that included burglary and assault charges. After serving a sentence, he was released from Rikers Island prison on October 17th. The Mayor of New York City, Adam Adams, expressed concern over how someone like Rivera, with a history of mental illness, was able to easily leave prison. Rivera’s criminal record also included theft incidents in the past, such as stealing an acrylic bowl from a luxury home goods store in Tribeca on the day he was released from prison in late 2023.
Rivera, who had been arrested at least eight times in New York City within the past year and had records of arrests in Ohio and Florida, was residing at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter in Kips Bay before the attacks occurred. The victims of his random stabbings were immigrants – a construction worker from Ecuador living in Peekskill, a single mother from Haiti residing in an immigrant shelter on 38th Street, and a man from Fuzhou living around Chinatown.
The attacks took place between 8:30 a.m. and close to 11 a.m. along a route that led from Chelsea on the west side of Manhattan to the East River where he fatally stabbed Chang Wang, a 67-year-old man fishing. The final victim, Wilma Augustin, was killed near the United Nations Headquarters on 42nd Street and 1st Avenue.
According to the authorities, the attacks were not targeted and there was no known conflict between Rivera and any of the victims before the stabbings took place. At a court hearing on Tuesday, Berta Landi, the sister of one of the victims, Randy, brought his photograph to protest, demanding justice for her brother and stating, “I want society to give Randy the justice he deserves. He didn’t deserve to die in vain.”
These tragic events have shocked the immigrant community in New York City, raising concerns about public safety and the potential impacts of mental health issues on criminal behavior. The aftermath of this senseless violence has left families grieving and the city authorities reevaluating their approach to preventing such tragic incidents in the future.