More horrifying details surrounding the Monday Manhattan stabbing spree, allegedly committed by Ramon Rivera, emerged late Tuesday afternoon as he was arraigned on first-degree murder charges for the bloody rampage.
Rivera, 51, who is homeless and stayed at the Bellevue Men’s shelter in Kips Bay, was ordered held without bail Tuesday for the bloody slayings of three New Yorkers on Nov. 18. The attacks took place throughout the morning and culminated in Midtown just across from the United Nations.
According to court documents, Rivera’s final victim, 36-year-old Wilma Augusti, was sitting on a park bench when her assailant struck, stabbing her multiple times in the chest and left arm. She left a bloody trail as she attempted to flee and was last seen screaming “Help!” before Rivera fled and was apprehended on 46th Street and 1st Avenue.
Augusti later died of her injuries Monday at a local hospital.
Earlier that morning, police found a 67-year-old fisherman, Chang Wang, dying in a pool of his own blood on 500 East 30th St. — an hour after 36-year-old construction worker Angel Lata Landi was stabbed to death outside of 444 West 19th St..
During the arrangement, prosecutors revealed that Rivera also has an outstanding warrant in New Jersey and is facing extradition out of state. He was initially arrested in New York in October, and has a rap sheet with arrests in several other states, police sources said.
Hours after Rivera’s arrest Mayor Eric Adams pushed back against the legal system, citing a previous October cuffing as an example as to why he should not have been on the street.
“It is a clear example, the criminal justice system, mental health system continues to fail New Yorkers,” Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference at the 17th Precinct on Nov. 18 regarding the spree. “Three New Yorkers, unprovoked attacks that left us searching for answers on how something like this could happen.”
At the Nov. 19 arraignment hearing, however, Judge Janet McDonnell pushed back on allegations about a failure of the criminal justice system, noting that Rivera had been out of custody following an October arrest for petit larceny — which is a non-bail eligible offense.
“The defendant was arraigned on that case on Oct. 18. The people had asked for supervised release on that case, not bail. Petit larceny is non bail qualifying, there is no basis to request bail,” Judge McDonnell said.
Rivera was ordered to return to court on Nov. 22 for a follow-up hearing. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faces life imprisonment without parole.
