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The unassuming New York Metropolis hospital greeter charged Thursday with a string of random stabbings had no rap sheet or historical past of psychological sickness — leaving neighbors and cops attempting to determine what might have brought on him to snap.
Jermain Rigueur, 27, a former Lengthy Island resident who labored at Woodhull Hospital in Bedford–Stuyvesant, allegedly attacked a 61-year-old grandfather with a searching knife on Jan. 8 — after which went after at the very least 4 extra victims Tuesday and Wednesday earlier than he was nabbed by cops.
“I can’t imagine that. I wouldn’t assume he can be able to that,” mentioned retired NYPD cop Cherise Broadus, who lives next-door to the raised ranch house in Wyandanch the place Rigueur grew up.
“Jermain was at all times a really loving younger man,” Broadus, 62, instructed The Publish, saying she has identified the suspect since he was a boy and watched him develop up.
“He was at all times very loving to me. After I misplaced my mom, he got here as much as me and gave me a giant hug,” she continued.
“I by no means thought something like that of him. I trusted him. He would watch my granddaughter.”
Police even have but to determine a motive for the chilling spree. Rigeur is accused of stabbing a lady in an unprovoked assault in Springfield Gardens simply after midnight Tuesday, then stabbing two males in separate incidents Wednesday morning earlier than he stabbed his fifth identified sufferer after argument over seating in a bus.
“He didn’t point out any motive for the assault,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny mentioned at a briefing Thursday.
“And primarily based on our investigation, it simply appears the one incident that he was provoked was the incident on the bus, the place there was an argument and a dispute over a bus seat,” Kenny added, referring to the fifth stabbing, by which a 36-year-old man was wounded close to Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Queens.
The others, together with a potential sixth incident in Brooklyn, “had been random,” Kenny mentioned.
The chief mentioned in that assault, the suspect was “pacing” earlier than the assault.
“We now have witnesses stating he was pacing the practice automobile prior,” Kenny mentioned. “He stood over the sufferer, and because the practice doorways opened up on Flushing Avene, he plunged the knife into his sufferer’s chest and easily simply walked off the practice.”
Police additionally mentioned there was no sample within the selection of victims — they included each women and men who had been both black or Hispanic.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban mentioned the unprovoked assaults had cops out in pressure.
“A violent legal is off our streets due to good old school police work,” he mentioned. “Finally, it got here all the way down to fundamental detective work — chasing down leads, knocking on doorways. It was about strolling by neighborhoods and speaking to individuals, interviewing witnesses and canvassing video.”
Police mentioned the legwork paid off when detectives had been capable of observe down surveillance digicam footage that captured the suspect as he walked into the two-family house in Jamaica the place he lived.
“The male was carrying the identical clothes and sneakers from the stabbing incidents,” Kenny instructed reporters. “He was additionally carrying the identical backpack and he was additionally carrying that particular lanyard round his neck.”
The Lanyard was Rigueur’s Woodhull Hospital ID, in keeping with authorities.
Rigueur was charged with three counts of tried homicide, 4 counts of assault, one rely of tried assault and legal possession of a weapon.
He was led out of the 113th Precinct stationhouse in handcuffs Thursday afternoon and is awaiting arraignment in Queens Prison later within the night.
He grew up in Suffolk County and solely moved to the two-family house in Jamaica the place he lived with roommates final yr, associates and neighbors instructed The Publish.
Rigueur took a job as a greeter at Woodhull in November, New York Metropolis Well being and Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz mentioned at Thursday’s press briefing.
Katz mentioned a background verify on Rigueur didn’t elevate any pink flags since he had no legal historical past.
“He by no means labored independently at Woodhull,” Katz mentioned. “He was nonetheless 100% being noticed as a part of his orientation. His job was greeting sufferers as they got here in and directing them to the suitable place.”
He mentioned Rigueur has been positioned on administrative depart.
He shared his two-family Queens house with roommates.
“I grew up on this neighborhood however I don’t know him,” one neighbor who solely recognized himself as Michelle mentioned. “I’ve by no means seen him.”
One other neighbor, Lynae, referred to as it scary that Rigueur had been dwelling on the block.
“We predict we’re secure however we’re probably not secure,” she mentioned. “We predict that everybody is simply bizarre, only a common particular person, then you will have anyone strolling round with a searching knife. It’s similar to, ‘What?’
“I don’t really feel secure anymore.”
Extra reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya
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