EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) — A man was arrested and charged after turning himself in for the apparent random stabbing of a mother of three at a Queens bus stop earlier this week.
Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce, 18, surrendered to the 115th police precinct Thursday morning after the release of very clear surveillance video Wednesday.
Ponce was arraigned Thursday night, and charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail.
Lisette Ramales, 29, was waiting to cross the street along 23rd Avenue and 94th Street in Elmhurst as she headed to a bus stop just before 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
Police say Ramales was stabbed twice in the left arm, once in the elbow and once in the back before her assailant fled.
Police released surveillance video from a nearby business in an attempt to track down their suspect.
In a twist, Ponce was in police custody earlier this week.
After the stabbing, Ponce headed to John F. Kennedy International Airport, demanding to board a flight to Peru, but he had no passport or boarding pass, and there was no flight available.
Port Authority police detained him there and took him to the hospital for an examination. At this point, surveillance had not yet been recovered that identified Ponce as a suspect. He was evaluated and released.
Officials say Ponce lives with his father, who saw the surveillance images some time after his son was released from the hospital, and convinced him that turning himself in was the right thing to do.
Ponce then headed to the station to surrender.
Officials say he has no prior arrests and no documented history of mental illness.
Ponce appeared in court and was remanded without bail. He is due back in court on March 24.
As for Lisette Ramales’ progress, her husband said she is on the mend but still recovering at the hospital.
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