Overview
- Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce, 18, was arraigned in Queens on charges including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
- Assistant District Attorney Isabelle Dudek said the defendant allegedly told investigators, "I knew I was guilty," after viewing the attack on video.
- Clear surveillance footage released by police led to his identification, his father recognized him, and he later surrendered at the NYPD's 115th Precinct.
- Police say he went to JFK Airport and tried to board a flight to Peru without proper documents, was detained by Port Authority officers, and was later linked to the stabbing.
- The March 16 attack near 23rd Avenue and 94th Street appears to have been random, and the 29-year-old victim, identified by relatives as a mother of three, remains hospitalized in stable condition as the case proceeds to a follow-up court date.