Willie Gomez was sentenced to 14 years in state prison after pleading guilty to brutally attacking two strangers with a knife without provocation while they were aboard an MTA bus in West Harlem, Manhattan..
In addition, upon leaving prison he must comply 5 years of supervised releaseadvertisement a statement from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
On September 26, the 49-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree assault before the New York State Supreme Court, in relation to the attacks that occurred on the afternoon of May 5, 2020, during confinement due to the pandemic.
That day, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Gomez boarded an M100 bus at the corner of West 129th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and stabbed a 58-year-old man multiple times in the head and face. He then approached another 44-year-old passenger and stabbed him approximately twice in the leg..
“Willie Gomez inflicted serious harm on the victims of his unprovoked attack. No New Yorker should fear for their safety while using public transportation and (Thursday’s) sentencing demonstrates that we will not accept violence against passengers,” said District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg. “I know the victims are still suffering from the impact of their injuries and I hope they can continue to heal and find some peace in today’s sentencing.”
Both victims required dozens of stitches for their wounds.. The first victim still exhibits visible scarswhile the second has walking difficulties and has been using a cane for several months.
In a similar tragedy, last month a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a 14-year-old boy while leaving school aboard an MTA bus in Staten Island.
An NYPD report warned that Fatal stabbings are up 29% this year in the city compared to before the pandemic (2019). Attacks with knives have become more frequent in various scenarios: streets, buildings, homes, buses, Metro, parties, schools and even commercial establishments and ATM areas.
In a recent survey, the majority of New Yorkers identified crime (73%) among their biggest current concerns. According to another alarming survey released this summer 70% of NYC residents fear that they will be victims of a criminal act.
2023-11-11 14:16:00
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