A man has been indicted on three charges, including attempted murder, after the stabbing of an EMT at Mount Sinai Hospital on 10th Avenue and 59th Street.
Rudy Garcia, 48, is charged with one count of attempted murder in the second degree, one count of assault in the first degree, and one count of assault in the second degree.
According to court documents and statements made on the record, the EMT responded to a call on July 19, 2023 and transported Garcia to Mount Sinai Hospital. As the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay, Garica threw a gum wrapper at the EMT. When the EMT asked Garcia to stop, Garcia pulled a knife from his sock and stabbed her chest, arm, and left leg several times.
Fellow EMTs and Mount Sinai security immediately responded and held Garcia until the NYPD arrived. Garcia was arrested on the scene.
The EMT suffered significant blood loss from puncture wounds on her left forearm, one on the left side of her chest, and four on her left thigh. She underwent emergency surgery for her leg wounds that same day and received stitches to her chest wound. She also underwent multiple surgeries on her left arm, as she suffered nerve damage from the attack.
“First responders work on the frontlines every day to serve the City of New York. As alleged, Rudy Garcia viciously attacked an EMT who was doing her job and coming to his aid,” said Manhattan District Attorney Bragg. “I’m grateful for the swift action of other members of the Mount Sinai Health System and the NYPD. My thoughts are with the victim as she continues to recover and heal.”
During Garcia’s arraignment, prosecutors said Garcia told police he thought he had been kidnapped.
Officials note that all charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.
Garcia’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 30, 2023.
In December of last year, Gothamist reported that nearly 200 EMS workers had been assaulted on the job in New York City since May 2020, when the Emergency Medical Service Public Advocacy Council first started counting.