Homeless man accused of killing 3 in random stabbing spree in NYC

NEW YORK (PIX11) --- A homeless man is accused of killing two men and a woman during a random stabbing spree in Manhattan Monday morning, according to police and sources.

"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 at a press briefing.

In the first incident, a 36-year-old construction worker was stabbed in the abdomen near 444 West 19th St. in Chelsea at around 8:20 a.m., according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. He died at the hospital.

A couple of hours later, a man, 68, was stabbed several times while fishing near 500 East 30th St. by the East River in Kips Bay before a 36-year-old woman was attacked near East 42nd Street and First Avenue in Tudor City just before 11 a.m., police said.

The 68-year-old man was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. The woman was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She had surgery but died of her injuries on Monday evening, sources said.

A cab driver saw the woman being attacked and followed the suspect before alerting police officers, according to Kenny.

The suspect, Ramon Rivera, a 51-year-old homeless man, was covered in blood and had two kitchen knives when he was taken into custody near the United Nations, police said.

Rivera has eight prior arrests and a history of mental illness, officials said.

"It is a clear, clear example of the criminal justice system and mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers," Adams said.