Man Accused In April Machete Menacing Incident Is Arrested Again

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Ricardo Morales, who is facing charges in connection accusations of using a machete to menace his neighbors in April, is facing new assault charges just weeks after being released without having to post bail, according to police.

Morales’s arrest came on Tuesday, just a few hours after New Rochelle police left Morales’s address after being refused entry to the home. According to Tony Aiello of CBS News, police reportedly came to the residence after receiving reports of a man swinging two hammers in a neighbor’s yard.

“It’s not very welcoming to see someone like that,” neighbor Ronnie Veltri told Aiello in an on-camera interview. “You gotta worry about them coming in your yard and doing things and stuff like that. He definitely needs help.”

Shortly after the news cameras left the scene, police say Vetri himself became the victim of an assault by Morales. This time, when cops returned to the neighborhood, the 38-year-old was arrested.

On April 12, Morales was arrested on charges that he went into neighbors’ yards and was “menacing people with a machete.” The New Rochelle Police Department confirmed that he was later released without having to post bail due to recently enacted bail reform rules.

Morales’s original release from custody has created a fervor on social media, but in this case, he won’t be immediately set free. He is being held in custody pending a mental health evaluation, according to officials.