MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – A homeless man accused of killing three people in a random stabbing spree in Manhattan is set to appear before a judge on Tuesday.
Ramon Rivera, 51, was accused of stabbing 36-year-old construction worker Angel Lata Landi in Chelsea on 19th Street and 10th Avenue just after 8 a.m. on Monday, according to authorities. Surveillance video showed a horrified woman pushing a baby in a stroller to safety after witnessing the fatal stabbing.
A 67-year-old man was then stabbed to death by the East River two hours later, police said. The NYPD has not revealed the identity of the victim pending family notification.
Rivera was then accused of stabbing 36-year-old Wilma Augustin near the United Nations Headquarters just before 11 a.m., according to authorities. She died at the hospital.
A cab driver was seen flagging police down after that stabbing. The knife used in the stabbings was recovered, police said.
Rivera has a history of mental health issues and an extensive criminal background spanning multiple states, according to authorities. He was living in a homeless shelter near NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
Video obtained by PIX11 News showed Rivera changing his outfit, putting on gloves and pulling out a kitchen knife from a small purple backpack.
"It is a clear, clear example of the criminal justice system, mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers. And it is troubling that we're standing here today, in a day that brings a great level of difficulty and pain to the city. Three New Yorkers, unprovoked attacks, that left us searching for answers on how something like this could happen," Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference on Monday.
Rivera confessed to all three killings and was charged with murder, according to authorities.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
