In a New York City courtroom on Thursday, there were no tributes or emotional reflections from the friends or family of the four men killed by Randy Santos. They were victims—Florencio Moran, Nazario Vázquez Villegas, Anthony Manson, and Chuyen Quoc—bludgeoned to death with a metal rod while they slept on the streets.
Despite the gravity of the situation, no one stood up to confront Santos directly about the tragic loss of life caused by his actions during a psychotic episode in Manhattan’s Chinatown nearly seven years ago.
That day, Santos was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, yet nobody was present to share how the victims’ absence has impacted their loved ones.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Alfred Peterson emphasized the silence surrounding the victims’ stories, saying, “There is no victim impact statement here today. No one here to tell this court about the victims’ lives and what a loss their absence is.” He paused, his emotions evident, to express the value of life, saying, “That gift was taken away by Randy Santos.”
Santos, having been convicted of first-degree murder in February, sat quietly between his public defenders. He listened through headphones as a Spanish interpreter conveyed the proceedings. An activist who had arranged a funeral for one of the victims was present in the gallery, observing the scene closely.
As he addressed the court in English, Santos asked for a lighter sentence to still have a sense of identity when he eventually leaves prison. He claimed that he had been conditioned to think that if he didn’t kill 40 people, he would meet his own end—a viewpoint his lawyer argued stemmed from his struggles with mental health. But he also mentioned he was “much better now” due to daily medication and promised to use his time in prison to pursue education and vocational skills.
“I just want to say that I’m very sorry for what I did,” Santos expressed, reiterating his remorse. “I apologize to people for what I did. I’m very sorry for what I did. I wish this never happened.”
Judge Laura A. Ward highlighted the complex issues within Santos’ case—mentioning homelessness, mental illness, and drug abuse—as tragic factors often present in violent crimes.
Peterson described the situation as a heartbreaking example of how a young man’s life can spiral downward in horrifying ways, noting that Santos also faced significant challenges, much like the victims.
Defense attorneys argued that Santos, diagnosed with schizophrenia shortly before the killings, was not criminally responsible and should be sent to a psychiatric facility instead of prison. They advocated for a sentence of 20 years to life, stating he was not beyond hope.
While showing some sympathy for Santos, Judge Ward expressed difficulty reconciling his actions against the most vulnerable members of society—those without shelter who were merely trying to sleep.
Prosecutors had requested a more severe sentence, ranging from 50 years to life, considering that Santos was also convicted of attempted murder for injuring two other men during the attack.
Before issuing the sentence, Ward reviewed surveillance footage showing Santos raising a four-foot bar and striking one victim repeatedly. Witnesses reported seeing him assault another man with the same weapon, leading to the only survivor, David Hernandez, stumbling into the street seeking help as officers attended to another victim.
Later, police discovered Santos with a bloodied bar, his DNA on one end and the blood of one victim on the other. The ages of those he killed ranged from 39 to 83.
As court officials led Santos away in handcuffs, local activist Karlin Chan voiced that the community felt shaken by the ruling. “He knew what he was doing,” Chan remarked, suggesting that Santos’ apology was insincere. “At the end of the day here, he’s going where he’s supposed to go: prison.”
