An outraged Bronx representative, Richie Torres, accused Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Cathy Hochul's administration of being “complicit” in serial killer Ramon Rivera's murder of three innocent people.
Torres said Rivera should never have been on the street, but authorities failed and allowed him to flee. He demanded that those directly responsible be fired.
“I am writing this letter to express alarm at the complicity of the state and city in the murders of three New Yorkers who were brutally stabbed to death in a murderous rampage that took place in broad daylight,” the Bronx Democrat wrote in a scathing letter. stated in a letter. to both the mayor and governor, obtained by The Post.
Torres, a moderate, has often been in the party's liberal wing for his advocacy for public safety and his full support of Israel and New York City's Jewish residents, amid mounting criticism of the Gaza war among left-wing members and party members. has rebelled against. Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the five boroughs.
Rivera, a 51-year-old homeless man with a lengthy rap sheet, remains free after a stabbing spree last week that killed three people from Chelsea to the East River, leaving a trail of blood across Manhattan. He later spoke coldly to the police. Officials said the victims were chosen because they were “lonely” and “distracted.”
In the early hours of November 18, the maniac stabbed construction worker Angel Gustavo Latarandi, 36, to death in Chelsea, then killed fisherman Zhang Wang, 67, near the East River, and then near the United Nations. He allegedly stabbed 36-year-old Wilma Augustine. , according to police.
Torres called the city Department of Corrections “the worst offenders” for making the “inexplicable and inexcusable decision” to release Rivera early after completing just nine months of a 12-month sentence. .
Rivera was released early for “good behavior” after assaulting a correctional officer, Torres said, furious at the state's revolving-door judiciary.
“The DOC official who authorized Ramon's early release should be fired. People who cannot be entrusted with public safety should no longer be employed by New Yorkers,” said the candidate, who is running in the gubernatorial primary. Torres said.
If Rivera had been sentenced consecutively instead of concurrently for assaulting a law enforcement officer, or served all of his sentences, “the three New Yorkers he killed would still be alive.” he said.
“These tragedies are preventable, but neither the city nor the state seem to have the political will to do so, even though they have the tools to do so,” the lawmaker said.
He said Hochul and his fellow Democrats, who run the state Senate and Assembly, are a big part of the problem.
“The state is refusing to give mayors the legal powers they need to prevent dangerous people from roaming their streets,” Torres said. “The city refuses to hold DOC accountable for the early release of a clearly dangerous criminal who committed a stabbing.
“The end result is incompetence that is not only destructive but fatal to New Yorkers,” he continued. “There are mothers and fathers. Daughters and sons. Wives and husbands left without loved ones because of a fundamental failure of government.”
He said city and state officials should learn from this injustice and ensure early release of people who are a danger not only to themselves but to the public, who have assaulted law enforcement officers, or who have assaulted law enforcement officers. He said that a policy must be adopted to prohibit such activities. commit a crime while in custody.
“Common sense demands no more. … In the state and city we live in, it seems like only crime victims and their loved ones are being harmed. Enough is enough,” Torres said. he said in his letter.
Mr. Torres has recently stepped up his attacks on Mr. Hochul, saying that Mr. Hochul is unpopular and could lose to a Republican if he were to run for re-election in 2026 as the Democratic nominee for the “new Joe Biden.” ”.
City Hall did not dispute Torres' criticism and said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding Rivera's release.
“Ramon Rivera's ability to roam freely through our streets is alarming, which is why Mayor Adams was one of the first to publicly question it. “We are warning about the revolving door of criminals being returned to the streets after police arrests,” an Adams spokesperson said.
“While we are reviewing this matter internally, we appreciate the cooperation of our constituents as they work to keep New York City safe for everyone,” the spokesperson added.
Hochul's office referred the Post to his comments last week regarding the Rivera stabbing.
“Do we want to do more? Yes, we need to do more. There's no question about that,” Hochul said.
“And what I want people to know is, I'm going to go back to Congress. I'm going to go back to Congress with all the tools I have and find a way to address this issue because this is unacceptable.” .”
Meanwhile, 11 federal, state, and city legislators representing Manhattan announced on November 21 that the Department of Corrections Secretary Lynell Maginley-Liddy, the Department of Homeless Services Secretary Molly Wasaw Park, and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Health and Hospitals He sent an angry letter to CEO Mitchell Katz.
They called for an investigation into the lapses that allowed Rivera to return to the streets and commit murder.
“He was exposed without due consideration or oversight,” the letter, signed by City Councilman Keith Powers, Borough President Mark Levin, and Congressman Jerrold Nadler, said.
“All reports indicate that Mr. Rivera's case is a damning indictment of the failures of New York City's criminal justice and mental health systems,” the letter states. “The murder he committed could have been prevented.”
They demanded answers about what information was passed between government agencies and who requested early release. Officials asked whether the assault Mr. Rivera committed in Bellevue factored into that decision.
“Did Rivera receive appropriate mental health services upon his release from Rikers Island, including an outpatient treatment plan, Kendra's Law, and discharge planning services?” they asked.
Outraged officials also questioned Mr. Rivera's history during his stay at the 30th Street Men's Shelter and whether he had experienced a mental health crisis.
Other signatories include state Sens. Liz Krueger, Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Kristen Gonzalez. Congressmen Harvey Epstein, Tony Simone, and Alex Boaz. and council members Eric Bottcher and Carlina Rivera.
