MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — The man who stabbed an 18-month-old boy and four adults with a pair of scissors in Riverside Park in 2013 was sentenced to 23 years in prison Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney said.
Julius Graham, 44, pled guilty to to four counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault last month, prosecutors said. He will serve his term in state prison and have five years of post-release supervision, the DA said.
On Oct. 1, 2013, at 8 a.m., Graham went on a nine-minute long slashing spree with a pair of broken scissors in the park, near West 64th Street. In that time span, he injured an an 18-month-old toddler in his stroller, the boy's father, a man walking his dog and two women out for a jog, police said.
After Graham slashed former New York City ballet dancer James Fayette, 35, and his son, Luke, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Thomas Ciriacks and his dogs, who were out for a walk, Ciriacks recalled at the time.
Ciriacks, who stood 6-foot-3 inches and weighed 210 pounds, separated Graham from Fayette and subdued him, bringing him to the ground and kicking away his scissors, he said.
Ciriacks lay on top of Graham for five minutes until police arrived, he said.
Witnesses, including Ciriacks, described Graham as having a "crazy" look in his eyes.
Graham told police at the time of his arrest that at the Bronx homeless shelter where he stayed off and on, "They just tell me I'm crazy in that place."
Police had told reporters Graham had a history of mental illness.
"With a pair of old scissor blades, Julius Graham turned a peaceful New York City morning into a nightmare for five strangers,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement Tuesday.
He characterized the attack as an "extreme and random act of violence,” and thanked the "good Samaritan who helped apprehend Graham."
Legal Aid, which represented Graham, did not immediately respond to request for comment.
