Suspect held in fatal bludgeoning of sleeping homeless men
A homeless man wielding a long metal bar rampaged through New York City's Chinatown early Saturday attacking other homeless people who were sleeping, killing four and leaving a fifth with serious injuries, police said.
Police recovered the weapon, which was still in the suspect's hands when he was arrested, officials said.
"The motive appears to be, right now, just random attacks," Chief of Manhattan South Detectives Michael Baldassano said, adding there was no evidence yet that the victims were "targeted by race, age, anything of that nature."
Two law enforcement officials identified the 24-year-old suspect as Randy Rodriguez Santos. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because criminal charges hadn't yet been finalised.
Santos was taken into police custody early Saturday.
Police say he has been arrested at least a half-dozen other times in the past two years, three times on assault charges.
It wasn't clear whether he had a lawyer to speak for him. The victims, all men, ...