Congressman Ritchie Torres to Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams: Ramon Rivera’s Release and Homicidal Rampage Made Possible by Failures of New York’s Government

Yesterday, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) wrote to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams voicing his strong frustration regarding the murder of three New Yorkers at the hands of Ramon Rivera.

The letter reads as follows (PDF here):

“I am writing to express alarm at the complicity of the State and the City in the murder of three New Yorkers, who were savagely stabbed to death in a homicidal rampage that took hold in broad daylight. The worst offender is NYC DOC, which made the inexplicable and inexcusable decision to release Ramon Rivera early, enabling him to serve only 9 months of a 12-month sentence.

“There were layers upon layers of government failure that led to Ramon Rivera’s rampage against innocent New Yorkers. If Rivera had been sentenced consecutively rather than concurrently for assaulting a law enforcement officer, the three New Yorkers he murdered would still be alive. If Rivera had been made to serve his full sentence of 12 months, the 3 murdered New Yorkers would still be alive. These tragedies are preventable but neither the City nor the State seem to possess the political will to prevent them, despite having the tools to do so. The State refuses to grant the Mayor the legal authority he needs to prevent dangerous people from roaming the streets. The City refuses to hold DOC accountable for the early release of a demonstrably dangerous criminal who went on a stabbing spree. The end result is incompetence that is not only destructive but deadly for New Yorkers.

“In May of 2024, during his incarceration, Ramon Rivera was transferred from Rikers Island to the psychiatric unit of Bellevue, where he assaulted a corrections officer. Not only did the State and the City fail to punish Ramon Rivera for assaulting a law enforcement officer, the City released him early for ‘good behavior.’ There are mothers and fathers; daughters and sons; wives and husbands who will no longer have loved ones because their government fundamentally failed them.

“The City and the State must learn from the Ramon Rivera rampage and adopt a policy of prohibiting early release for those who are a danger not only to themselves but also to the general public; for those who assault a law enforcement officer; or for those who commit crimes while in custody. Common sense demands no less. The bureaucrat in DOC who authorized the early release of Ramon should be fired. Those who cannot be entrusted with public safety should no longer be employed by the people of New York.

“There must be consequences when government fails and when innocent New Yorkers lose their lives. We live in a City and state where the only people who seem to suffer consequences are the victims of crime and their loved ones. Enough is enough.”