After a violent start to the week- search for answers leads to unexpected places
NEW YORK CITY - In the wake of two violent incidents featuring suspects with long criminal backgrounds, FOX 5 took a deep dive into the histories of both men to answer the question being asked by Mayor Adams and New Yorkers.
On Monday, police say suspect Ramon Rivera went on an hourslong stabbing spree in Manhattan, killing three people in unprovoked attacks. Rivera has a long history of arrests and mental health struggles.
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NYC stabbing spree raises concerns over criminal record and systemic failures
Authorities revealed that Rivera has a criminal history spanning three states and suffers from severe mental health issues.
The very next day, a man police identify as Gary Worthy sparked a confrontation with officers in Queens, firing his weapon. He shot a police officer in the leg and was killed by return fire. A female bystander was also shot in the exchange.
Police say Worthy has been arrested at least 17 times for charges including murder, robbery, burglary and narcotics possession. This prompted Adams to say:
Worthy's recent history begins with being released from prison in November 2021 after serving 11 years behind bars. He's been arrested multiple times since, including three times this year for alleged attacks that were bail eligible. The Queens district attorney's office confirmed their prosecutors asked for $125,000 bail, which a judge denied. On the same day, the parole office asked for Worthy to be jailed for violating the terms of his parole; that order was also denied.
Sources tell FOX 5 the judge was Edward Daniels, who once worked for Brooklyn Defender Services. As it turns out, Daniels was appointed in April of this year by the man asking "how could this happen?" - Mayor Adams.
FOX 5 reached out to City Hall to ask if Adams had contacted the judge he appointed, but did not receive a response.
As for the case involving 51-year-old Rivera, his recent run-ins began with being arrested in Manhattan in December of last year for assault and harassment. In this case, bail was requested, and the judge granted the exact amount requested by District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, a point Bragg mentioned at a Wednesday morning presentation.
"Our office did ask for bail, bail was imposed, he was in custody," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
While serving his sentence for that case, in May, Rivera assaulted a corrections officer. Found guilty, his sentence of 90 days wasn't added to the time he was already serving; the courts ordered him to serve that time concurrently.
On Oct. 17, Rivera was released from custody.