On May 18, 2017, a car fell on Times Square, New York City. One was killed and 20 were injured. Navy veteran Richard Rojas was charged with two charges of murder in the second, 18 assassination attempts and 38 attacks, which he was innocent.
After being arrested, Rojas was found to have consumed phencyclidine before the accident. When interviewed by the NYPD, Rojas said he wanted to die in "suicide by the police", and that he had heard voices. In a news interview in prison three days later, he said he did not remember the incident or any statements he made afterwards.
Video 2017 Times Square car crash
Incident
Richard Rojas, the Honda Accord maroon driver of 2009, drove to the pedestrian in Times Square after jumping the sidewalk on the west side of Seventh Avenue on 42nd Street. He continued for three blocks before crashing into the northwest corner of 45th Street and Seventh Avenue, on Broadway. When Rojas tried to leave his car, a traffic agent dumped him and took him to custody. After getting out of the car, Rojas said: "I want to kill them," the prosecutor said.
Maps 2017 Times Square car crash
Victim
Alyssa Elsman, an 18-year-old tourist from Portage, Michigan, was killed and 20 people were injured, four were critical.
Suspect
Richard Rojas (born 1991), a 26-year-old Bronx resident and a military veteran, was arrested and charged after the accident. He had previously served in the United States Navy and had two previous arrests for driving under influence. This arrest occurred in 2008 and 2015. He enrolled in the Navy in 2011 and was a mechanic of firefighter couples. In 2012, he served on the destroyer USS Carney . He was recently based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and was laid off in 2014.
Rojas was arrested in September 2012 after attacking a taxi driver and yelled at an officer, "My life is over", and threatened to kill the police after he was released. He also spent two months in a military prison in 2013. A neighbor said his family is Dominica. One of his friends said Rojas had developed a drinking problem after his military service, using it as a remedy for his "thoughts and dark atmosphere", and posting what his friend described as "demonic" content on social media. According to authorities and colleagues, his mental health problems came from his childhood although he never sought psychiatric treatment, became more paranoid and increased marijuana and alcohol intake.
Rojas is obsessed with Scientology and has collected literature on religion. He recently regained his car after being taken over in a short time before the incident. A week before the incident, he was arrested and charged with pointing a knife at a notary, which he accused of stealing his identity.
The researcher examined his psychological history. In an interview for the New York Post on May 21, he said he did not remember the events or statements he made when arrested and sought help the previous week, including talking to a mental health counselor. at the veterans' affairs center, who promised to call him on Monday (May 22).
Aftermath
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, and other officials said there was no indication that the incident was an act of terrorism. Some law enforcement officials say the suspect thinks he heard the sound and is expected to die. Rojas was tested negative for alcohol, but additional tests were performed to determine whether he was taking any medication. Drug tests returned positively when a blood test was performed whether he had used synthetic marijuana or PCP. Rojas has since offered an alternative explanation to the researchers who say they have not come to a conclusion.
According to a criminal complaint, Rojas admits smoking marijuana is mixed with PCP before driving the car. The prosecutor said he told police he wanted to die by suicide by the police. He also raved that he had heard the voice and it was the last day on Earth. According to another source, he said he claimed to hear a voice telling him that the police would kill him. Later, they say he has tested positive using PCP and told police that God made him do that. The interview is not normal and long-winded.
Legal process
Rojas was later accused of second-degree murder, 20 attempted murders, and five counts of murder of aggravated vehicles.
On July 13, Rojas, through his lawyer Enrico DeMarco, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, 18 assassination attempts and 38 attacks.
On October 24, DeMarco refused to reveal whether he would try a defense against madness, saying that he needed "a month or more" to check Rojas's wealth, like a notebook, owned by the county attorney. Justice Melissa Jackson urged her to hurry before deciding until December 18th. On December 17, he filed a notice about his intention to pursue a defense of insanity. Rojas will be examined by a psychiatrist employed by both parties.
See also
- the 2010 Times Car bombing attempt
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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