Grand jury indicts homeless man accused in stabbing deaths of 3, Manhattan DA says

A homeless man who allegedly stabbed three people to death in Manhattan in a series of unprovoked attacks has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury.

In a statement, a spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said his office filed a notice of grand jury action in the case of Ramon Rivera, 51, who was charged earlier in a criminal complaint with three counts of first-degree murder.

Bragg’s office didn’t reveal the precise charges in the grand jury notice, but additional charges are possible.

Rivera was arrested by police Monday after they say he went on a stabbing spree and killed a 36-year-old construction worker, a 31-year-old single mother and a 68-year-old man fishing on the East River.

Rivera was arrested, in part, thanks to the efforts of NYPD officer Robert Garvey of Suffolk County Island who was alerted to the suspect by a cab driver, according to police officials,

Braggs’s office said Rivera was due back in court on December 19 for arraignment on the indictment. Defense attorney Erin Darcy couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

The three killings sparked outrage from many, including Mayor Eric Adams who said the slayings indicated failures of the criminal justice and mental health systems.

According to police, Rivera had eight prior arrests and had been released in October after spending about nine months in a city jail for robbery. In 2023, Rivera had been the subject of calls to 911 about a man going through mental health episodes, the NYPD said.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.