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Three people are killed in a stabbing in New York City in Manhattan

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Three people are killed in a stabbing in New York City in Manhattan

The suspect in the series of stabbing attacks has been identified, as have two of the three victims killed in the attack that took place in Manhattan on Monday.

A third person has died after being the target of a seemingly random attack when a suspect with “serious mental health issues” went on a stabbing rampage in New York City on Monday.

The man suspected of being behind the attacks had been in police custody since Monday afternoon after he was found with blood on his clothing and armed with two kitchen knives. New York police identified him Tuesday as Ramon Rivera, 51, and said he was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Two of the victims killed in the attacks have been identified as Angel Lata Landi, 36, a construction worker from Peekskill, New York; and 36-year-old Wilma Augustin of Manhattan. Police have said the third victim is a 67-year-old man, but have not released his name because his family has not yet been notified of his death.

At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Eric Adams said the stabbings amounted to “unprovoked attacks.”

“Today we have three innocent New Yorkers who were victims of a terrible, terrible attack,” Adams said as he was flanked by police leaders.

Three dead in stabbings in Manhattan

The rampage, which occurred over the course of about 2.5 hours across Manhattan, left police “scrambling for answers as to how something like this could have happened,” Adams said.

The first attack was reported at 8:22 a.m. Monday on 19th Street when police said Rivera stabbed Lata Landi multiple times in the stomach at a construction site.

The second attack was reported about two hours later at 10:25 a.m. on 30th Street. An unidentified 67-year-old man was fishing when he was stabbed in the stomach more than once in the same manner.

Both the man and Lata Landi were taken to the same hospital and soon died from their injuries.

At 10:55 a.m., Rivera is suspected of carrying out his final attack, this time on a woman at the intersection of 42nd Street and 1st Avenue near the United Nations headquarters. Augustin, who was stabbed in the chest and left arm, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but later died.

“He just walked up to them and started attacking them with the knives,” New York Police Chief Joe Kenny said at the news conference. “No words were exchanged. No property taken.”

A taxi driver who witnessed the third attack and thought it was a robbery followed the knife-wielding man as he alerted police, Kenny said. When the man, now identified as Rivera, was taken into custody, police said he was wearing bloodstained clothing and was armed with knives.

Suspect has “serious mental health issues,” Adams said

While Adams said officials were still reviewing Rivera’s criminal record, he said there was “a real question as to why he was on the streets.”

Rivera, who police said appeared to be homeless, has eight previous arrests and was last arrested in October for grand larceny. Adams also added that he has “serious mental health issues.”

“It is a clear example of a criminal justice system and a mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers,” Adams said.

Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

Vaseline5 days ago

2 2 minutes read