On Wednesday, a jury in New York declared a Navy veteran who drove his car into Times Square pedestrians in 2017 was “not responsible” due to mental illness for the attack that killed an 18-year-old tourist and injured 22 others.
The jury ruled that Richard Rojas, 31, was found “not responsible by reason of mental defect” for second-degree murder and 23 other counts for the May 2017 carnage.
With their decision, the Bronx man who suffers from schizophrenia will be involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric facility.
Earlier, Rojas’ lawyers defended that he “lost his mind” behind the wheel of his Honda Accord, plowing the car through three blocks of crowded Times Square sidewalks on May 18, 2017.
According to reports, killed in the bloodshed was an 18-year-old tourist from Michigan, Alyssa Elsman, whose little sister testified about watching her die.
A Weill-Cornell psychiatrist said Rojas’ psychosis had affected his ability to perceive reality.
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