NEW YORK (TCN) — A man who beat several homeless men to death with a metal bar in 2019 has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
The Manhattan District Attorney announced the sentencing of 31-year-old Randy Santos on May 28. On Feb. 19, Santos was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count each of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and attempted first-degree assault.
Santos attacked multiple homeless men who were sleeping on the sidewalk in New York City’s Chinatown on Oct. 5, 2019. He used a metal bar to strike and kill Anthony Manson, Nazario Abdelardo Vazquez Villegas, and Florencio Moran Camano. In the attacks, he also seriously injured David Hernandez, according to the DA.
Santos then dropped his weapon and continued on his way, when he found Cheun Kok, who was sleeping next to a building. Santos retraced his steps, retrieved the metal bar, returned to Kok, and hit him in the head several times with the metal bar. Eyewitnesses called 911, but by the time first responders arrived, Kok had died from his injuries.
During the investigation, authorities connected Santos to an attack the month before in which he approached a homeless man sleeping on a bench near the waterfront, beat him, and attempted to push him over the railing into the water, according to the DA.
About a year before the attacks, Santos’ mother, Fioraliza Rodriguez, said she had kicked him out of her home after he assaulted her, The Associated Press reported in 2019. According to the outlet, Santos was accused of physically assaulting others in the past, including on a subway train, employment agency, and homeless shelter. He had been arrested six times before the attack on Oct. 5. 2019.
WABC reports that at trial, Santos’ defense said that he is schizophrenic and cannot be held responsible for his actions due to the severity of his mental illness. According to Gothamist, the defense said Santos believed that a voice in his head told him to kill 40 people or else he would be killed.
At the sentencing, Gothamist reports senior trial counsel Alfred Peterson said, “There are no victim impact statements here today,” he said. “There’s nobody here to tell this court about their lives and how their absence is a loss. But I’m certain that this court and our city understands the value of every life and the gift of life.”
In his own statement, Santos apologized for his actions, stating, “I apologize to the people for what I did… I wish it never happened,” according to Gothamist.
Of the sentencing, District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said, “The chilling murders committed by Randy Santos shook New York City. He displayed an appalling disregard for the lives of his victims, who were completely defenseless and unable to protect themselves. Unhoused individuals deserve the same level of safety as anyone else, and I hope the resolution of this case serves as a reminder of the work that remains in protecting and supporting our most vulnerable residents.”
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