Accused Chinatown Killer Possibly Beat Another Homeless Man: NYPD

CHELSEA, NY — The man charged with killing four sleeping men in Chinatown may have beaten another homeless man in Chelsea a week before Saturday's brutal attacks, according to the city's Police Department.

Randy Rodriguez Santos, 24, was arrested on murder charges for the beatings early Saturday morning in Chinatown, which left four men dead and one still in critical condition.

On Tuesday, the NYPD revealed Santos may have beaten another homeless man while he was sleeping.

On Sept. 27, a man sleeping on a bench on the West Side Highway north of Chelsea Piers was woken up being hit with a stick of some sort, Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said.

"There was a physical confrontation where the individual believes that the possibility existed he was being attempted to be thrown over the bannister into the water," Shea said Tuesday at a press conference.

Santos, who was also homeless, was seen on a surveillance video about seven blocks from the scene of the Chelsea beating, Shea said.

The victim was left with cuts on his chest, though the injuries were not serious, the chief said.

The investigation is ongoing, and the injured man couldn't give cops many details because he was woke up under attack, according to Shea, who said a weapon was not recovered from the area.

"Unfortunately in that incident the individual was asleep," Shea said. "We don't have individuals that can readily identify him but we're building that case as we go forward."

The men killed Saturday in Chinatown — Chuen Kok, 83; Anthony Manson, 49; Nazario A. Vazquez Villegas, 55; and a fourth man who has yet to be identified — died of severe head injuries that were ruled homicides, according to the city's medical examiner. A fifth man was critically injured.

Santos, who underwent a psychiatric evaluation, was brought to court Sunday morning on four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and a criminal possession of marijuana charge.

Santos' mother, Fioraliza Rodriguez, told the New York Daily News she was afraid of her who son, who punched her before she kicked him out. After moving to New York from the Dominican Republic, he began using drugs and became violent, breaking his grandfather's nose and stealing from the family, according to the newspaper.

On Monday, dozens gathered to honor the four men killed, many distressed about the horrific murders that shook the neighborhood. Teary-eyed mourners set up a shrine of red and white candles, fruits, flowers, beers and pizza boxes at Kimlau Square.

The Coalition for the Homeless will hold another vigil at Kimlau Square at 5:30 p.m. Councilmember Margaret Chin and other politicians are expected to attend.

Patch reporter Noah Manskar contributed to this report.