Manhattan Stabbing Spree: Two Dead, One Critical in Random Attacks

Two people died, and a third was critically injured during stabbings in different parts of New York on Monday, November 18. The police believe a single suspect is responsible for these attacks.

Detective Chief Joseph Kenny described the incidents as “random attacks” that killed two innocent victims and left another fighting for her life. Authorities have a suspect in custody and stated they are not looking for anyone else.

The suspect is Ramon Rivera, a 51-year-old man with a history of arrests. He has been detained eight times, with seven of those arrests for felonies in New York. He also has a criminal record in Florida.

Witnesses reported that Rivera stabbed a man in the abdomen with a kitchen knife without any provocation. Emergency personnel pronounced the victim dead upon arrival at the hospital. A couple of hours later, an Asian man, 68 years old, was stabbed while fishing in the East River. He died shortly after reaching the hospital.

Nearby, police received a tip from a witness and apprehended Rivera after he attempted to commit a robbery. He was found with two large kitchen knives covered in blood, as was his clothing. A critically injured woman was taken by ambulance to Weill Cornell Medical Center.

A British tourist and UN security personnel, who witnessed the stabbings, helped locate the suspect. A taxi driver who saw the attack thought it was a robbery and followed Rivera, alerting Officer Robert Garvey, who caught him on 46th Street and First Avenue, near the Turkish UN mission.

Officer Garvey was informed of a possible crime when he stopped Rivera. This swift action led to the capture of the suspect and the involvement of the detective squad.

Information sourced from AFP.