An alleged madman was on a mission to steal kitchen knives before his random stabbing spree that left three people dead and Manhattan’s streets soaked in blood, prosecutors revealed Thursday.
Ramon Rivera, 51, shattered a window at an Ace Hardware store on East 18th Street and First Avenue near StuyTown and walked out with a stolen backpack full of kitchen knives and construction gloves on Nov. 18, prosecutors said in court before the accused entered an insanity plea.
Three hours later on West 19th Street, Rivera allegedly attacked Angel Lata Landi, 35, the first victim chosen at random in his vicious spree.
“[Rivera] stabbed and killed three different individuals,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Megan Joy said in court, calling the attack “completely unprovoked. “Those three individuals were minding their own business.”
Rivera was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder at his Supreme Court arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Rivera, who had been released from Rikers Island on Oct. 17 on a time-served sentence for recent burglary and assault convictions before his rampage, traveled to East 30th Street within two hours after his first attack, prosecutors said.
There the alleged maniac followed Chang Wang, 67, who was fishing on the FDR Promenade and stabbed him multiple times, prosecutors added
Then he allegedly knifed Wilna Augustin, a 36-year-old woman sitting on a park bench, as she screamed for help, the DA’s office said.
Augustin succumbed to her injuries at a hospital later that day.
Rivera’s hours-long stabbing spree ended shortly after he stabbed his final victim — and he gave a “full confession” admitting to the stabbings and killing three, prosecutors said.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Felicia Mennin remanded the sicko on the prosecution’s request, citing his extensive out-of-state contacts and his probation violation.
Attorney Erin Darcy of the Legal Aid Society filed an insanity defense on Rivera’s behalf as two family members sat quietly in the courtroom Thursday.
Rivera has a history of mental illness and violent crime going back decades.
As recently as May he was detained at Bellevue Hospital’s psych ward, where sources said he assaulted a corrections officer.
Before that he had run-ins with the police in November and December 2023 over mental health incidents.
In total, River has at least eight previous arrests in the five boroughs.
He also has numerous others across other states, including a 2017 assault case in Ohio, and a slew of arrests in Florida dating back to 2003 ranging from domestic violence battery to drunken driving and procuring prostitutes, according to police and sources.
