Accused NYC stab spree killer had been assaulted by correction officer in May

NEW YORK — The homeless man accused of carrying out an unprovoked stabbing spree across Manhattan that left three strangers dead got into a violent clash with a correction officer earlier this year that left both hurt and facing charges, the Daily News has learned.

In August, Ramon Rivera, 54 — accused of murdering three New Yorkers in a horrific bloody rampage Monday — pleaded guilty to assaulting a Department of Correction officer in Bellevue’s prison ward earlier this year while he was in custody for burglary offenses.

The officer, Carol Garcia, was also charged for the May 6 clash following an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney and the city Department of Investigation. She pleaded guilty to attempted assault on Nov. 13, according to court records.

Rivera approached Garcia, struck her in the leg with his foot and smacked her across the face.

Bellevue staff and other inmates pulled him away from Garcia and pinned him to the floor. At that point, Garcia approached him and kicked him while he was being restrained, according to court documents, in a caught-on-CCTV incident.

Garcia’s plea deal required her to complete 10 days of community service and additional requirements. If she fulfills the terms of her plea deal for six months, she will be permitted to withdraw her guilty plea to the attempted assault charge and be sentenced to time served for a lesser harassment offense.

Rivera was arrested in Manhattan in December for two burglaries on non-bail-eligible offenses and released under supervision. He was soon back in handcuffs in New Jersey on similar charges and extradited to New York, where the Manhattan DA’s office brought an indictment for two more burglaries that predated the December arrest.

He remained in custody and, on Aug. 6 pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, receiving a one-year jail sentence. Rivera soon after pleaded guilty to assaulting Garcia and received a 90-day term to run concurrent to his jail sentence for the burglaries.

Seventy-two days after being sentenced, according to authorities, the Department of Correction let Rivera out under the department’s practice of releasing defendants who serve two-thirds of a city sentence, including his time in custody before sentencing.

Just over 100 days after being sentenced, Rivera allegedly stabbed to death construction worker Angel Lata Landi on W. 19th St. near Tenth Ave. in Chelsea about 8:20 a.m. Monday, according to police.

Lata Landi was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital 10 minutes later.

Rivera allegedly then targeted a 68-year-old man fishing on the East River Promenade near E. 30th St. and the FDR Drive in Kips Bay at 10:27 a.m. Medics also rushed that victim to Bellevue Hospital but doctors could not save him.

A 36-year-old woman became Rivera’s next alleged victim at 10:55 a.m. at E. 42nd St. and First Ave. in Murray Hill, according to police. She died later that day at a nearby hospital.

Police ultimately caught up with the suspect, who authorities say is mentally ill, and stopped his trail of horror on E. 46th St. and First Ave.

According to sources, Rivera confessed to the killings in custody. He was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday.

The Daily News could not reach attorneys who represented Rivera in his previous cases.

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