In a violent rampage, career criminal Ramon Rivera fatally stabbed three people in New York City on November 18th, ultimately charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Rivera, being homeless and having a lengthy criminal record, also suffers from severe mental health issues. As a result, questions about systemic failures in mental health care, criminal justice, and public safety are being raised.
The “stabbing spree” began at around 8:20 am when he stabbed Angel Lata Landi in the abdomen as he was waiting to be picked up. His next victim was 67-year-old Chang Wang, stabbing him while he was fishing in the East River only two hours later. Afterward, he stabbed 36-year-old Wilma Augustin near the United Nations building.
A cab driver witnessed the stabbing of Augustin, reporting it to the police. The driver then chased Rivera up First Avenue, calling out to pedestrians to help before the police were able to arrest him. From there, he spent several hours sleeping in a holding cell in New York Central Booking with no care in the world. After finally waking up, he gave a full confession, telling the police that he chose his victims because they were “distracted” and “alone.” There was also footage later obtained that showed Rivera changing into a sweatshirt, tan trench coat and beanie hat before approaching Landi.
Prior to this, Rivera has faced legal trouble multiple times. He has just been released from Rikers Island in October, arrested on charges of both burglary and assault in the third-degree in February. After being arrested in February, he was sentenced to almost a year in prison, however was let out after just eight months on good behavior.
Rivera has had at least eight other arrests in New York, along with multiple in other states. There was a 2017 arrest in Cleveland, Ohio for assault and several in Florida all the way back to 2003 ranging from domestic violence to driving under the influence.
In addition, he has a history of mental health issues. Along with spending several days in the psych ward of Bellevue Hospital where he assaulted a corrections officer, he has had two other mental health incidents between November and December 2023.
Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged that the city bears responsibility for the stabbing spree, however the mental health and justice system failures go farther. Rivera’s mental health issues emphasize the lack of availability in health services, specifically for the homeless. In addition, his long criminal record raises questions on if he was properly monitored or placed in a rehabilitation program. Sources claimed that the judge didn’t even look at Rivera’s criminal record when considering the lenient sentence.
Some argue that the criminal justice system often cycles individuals with severe mental health issues through jail and back on the streets, without really addressing the root causes of their behavior. Adam furthers this by arguing that he could have stayed in jail for 90 more days or longer and he still would have posed a danger on the streets.
Rivera ended up at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter, a far from ideal setting for monitoring mentally ill people. Brian Stettin, the mayor’s senior advisor for severe mental illness, states, “There is a need for a robust residential option that we are working diligently to create. And I expect it’s something the mayor will have more say on in the future.”
Representative Ritchie Torres stated that if Ramon Rivera “had never been released early, and if he had been made to serve his full 12-month sentence, then the three New Yorkers he murdered would still be alive.” In addition, he put blame on the federal government as they do not provide federal funding for inpatient psychiatric care.
