The mother of the construction worker who was tragically killed in a random Manhattan attack by a knife-wielding assailant broke down in tears as family and friends gathered for a candlelit vigil at the location where he lost his life.
Angel Gustavo Lata-Landi, 36, was standing outside a Chelsea work site when homeless maniac Ramon Rivera, 51, allegedly stabbed him in the stomach during a horrifying daylight spree that also claimed the lives of two other innocent bystanders on Monday.
His devastated mother, Mercedes Landi, said she had spoken to her son the night before he was killed and now faces the heartbreaking task of repatriating his body to Ecuador, the city he left 20 years ago, for his funeral.
“There are no words to describe how I feel,” said a tearful Landi, speaking through a translator, as she arrived at the West Side street where her son was fatally attacked.Â
Landi, who traveled from Ecuador to New York, joined the emotional crowd in the rain on Friday night at 444 West 19th St.
Nearly a dozen loved ones set up a small memorial with flowers, candles, and photos, leaving behind Lata-Landi’s white hard hat as they honored his memory.
“He treated me like I was his son,” his 9-year-old nephew, Alan Ochoa, shared with The Post.
“He lived in the Bronx but would sometimes come over and cook for us. I just wish he was still alive.”
Lata-Landi was the first victim of the attack that occurred around 8:20 a.m. allegedly carried out by Rivera, a homeless man with a history of crime and mental health issues, who had been released on supervised release just last month for a non-bail eligible offense.
The attacker then moved from the West Side to the East River, where he fatally stabbed Chang Wang, 67, who was fishing just before 10:30 a.m., according to the police.
The third and final victim, Wilma Augustin, 36, was fatally stabbed near the United Nations building about 30 minutes later. She was a single mother of an 8-year-old son.
Rivera, who admitted to targeting his victims because they were “alone” and “distracted,” was apprehended shortly after the last stabbing and was found in possession of two knives, as per court documents.
The Landi family is contemplating legal action against the city due to New York’s lenient bail reform laws that allowed a violent individual with mental health issues to roam the streets freely, as stated by Walter Sinche, the executive director of the International Ecuadorian Alliance speaking on their behalf.
“At this point, all they seek is justice,” he expressed.Â
“Unfortunately, the system failed. He was a dangerous person. Why was he let out?”
