The New York man arrested for what police described as a series of “unprovoked” stabbings in Queens was arraigned on Friday, January 19 where he pleaded not guilty to the charges, CNN reported.
Jermain Rigueur, 27, was arrested two days earlier in connection to five random stabbings that occurred in Queens over nine days.
According to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, the stabbings all occurred between the hours of midnight and 8:30 a.m. in southern Queens, starting on January 8 when Rigueur allegedly stabbed a 61-year-old man who was out for a walk.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office said the attacks concluded in a 2-day spree from January 16 to January 17 in which four people were attacked.
The first victim of the 2-day stabbing spree was walking home on January 16 when Rigueur approached her from behind and stabbed her in the torso before fleeing the scene.
Rigueur’s three final victims were all stabbed within an hour of each other.
According to Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny, the final stabbing followed a verbal dispute between Rigueur and the victim while they were on a bus.
Shortly before that attack, Rigueur stabbed a 71-year-old and 41-year-old man within minutes of each other.
Rigueur was arrested outside of his Springfield Gardens residence on Wednesday, January 17, wearing the same clothes, sneakers, and backpack he had been wearing during the final three attacks.
Rigueur also had the same distinctive work identification lanyard around his neck.
During the search of Rigueur’s backpack, police found a 6-inch Bowie knife and a bloody sweatshirt, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Rigueur is charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, eight counts of second-degree assault, one count of attempted first-degree assault, and four counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Police are also looking into charging Rigueur for another stabbing in Brooklyn.
Rigueur’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 31.
