A man with schizophrenia who killed four homeless people and injured two others in 2019 knew what he was doing and should be held criminally responsible for his actions, a Manhattan jury decided Thursday.
The jurors convicted Randy Santos of all the charges against him, including first-degree murder, after less than a day of deliberations. Santos’ defense attorneys had argued at trial that he should not be found guilty because of his mental illness.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that Santos “knowingly and purposefully” attacked strangers while they were sleeping.
“Now, he has been held accountable for his crimes,” Bragg said.
A spokesperson for Santos’ defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.