Police in Long Island, New York, said Saturday that an illegal immigrant from El Salvador was accused of stabbing two women to death in separate attacks.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said officers took Rony Yahir Alvarenga Rivera, 22, into custody on murder charges after he was linked to a slaying at a Wendy’s restaurant.
Authorities said they were called to the fast food chain in North Long Beach after witnesses reported seeing a person with a knife around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
No assailant was found at the scene, but police said they came upon a 42-year-old woman lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds to her neck and torso.
Police said Mr. Alvarenga Rivera, who worked at the Wendy’s, ambushed the woman as she took out the trash.
Officials said the suspect called them a short time later and confessed to killing his co-worker.
During that conversation, Mr. Alvarenga Rivera admitted to killing his female roommate at their apartment complex in Valley Stream, police said.
Officers went to the address provided by Mr. Alvarenga Rivera and found a slain 32-year-old woman at the scene. She died from stab wounds to her torso and neck, police said.
Commissioner Ryder said the women’s identities were being withheld until their next-of-kin were notified. He said the 42-year-old woman was a mother of two.
Asked for a motive, Commissioner Ryder said, “I’ll sum it up in one word: anger.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is expected to be the Republican nominee to face Gov. Kathy Hochul in this fall’s election, sounded off on lax immigration policy for contributing to the double killing.
“This is just an example of what happens when you open borders,” Mr. Blakeman said Saturday at the press conference. “The individual who is now a defendant in this case for two homicides in our county came to this country in 2016 at 12 years of age. That individual was released when apprehended and allowed to stay in this country, even though that individual was an unaccompanied minor.”
He said the suspect was granted a green card in 2022 that was designated for unaccompanied minors, and it allowed him to live and work in the U.S. despite illegally crossing the border.
Mr. Alvarenga Rivera pleaded not guilty to murder charges in his initial court appearance.
