The man accused of intentionally mowing down pedestrians on a Times Square sidewalk, killing one and injuring 22 others, was set to learn if he’ll be indicted by a grand jury Wednesday.
The man accused of intentionally mowing down pedestrians on a Times Square sidewalk, killing one and injuring 22 others, was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury.
Richard Rojas did not appear for the brief appearance in a Manhattan court. The charges have not yet been made public, but the 26-year-old Rojas was previously arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder.
An arraignment was set for July 13, and he doesn't have to enter a plea until then. His lawyer had no comment.
Rojas told police after his arrest May 18 that he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP, according to a criminal complaint. He said he wanted to "kill them all" and police should have shot him to stop him, prosecutors said.
The crash killed Alyssa Elsman, an 18-year-old tourist from Portage, Michigan, and injured her 13-year-old sister, Ava. A barricade at the site of the crash has become a makeshift memorial to Alyssa Elsman, adorned with flowers, photos and handwritten messages.
Among the injured were Destiny Lightfoot and Jessica Williams, both students a month from graduating from New Jersey's Dunellen High School.
Lightfoot was released Tuesday morning from Bellevue Hospital, Dunellen Public Schools Superintendent Gene Mosley said. Meanwhile, Mount Sinai Health System said it released its last patient from the crash Tuesday afternoon.
Rojas has several prior criminal cases. He pleaded guilty two weeks ago to harassment in the Bronx after he was accused of pulling a knife on a notary in his home.
"You're trying to steal my identity," he said, according to prosecutors.
He also had two previous drunken driving cases.
