Man Tried To Slit Victim’s Throat After Ride To Gilgo Beach: DA

GILGO BEACH, NY — A 26-year-old Venezuelan national was indicted on attempted murder and assault charges after prosecutors said he drove an acquaintance to Gilgo Beach and stabbed him multiple times during a violent attack.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, Ruben Guanipa Ramirez was arraigned Tuesday, March 31, on an indictment charging him with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault.

Prosecutors said Ramirez picked up the victim at his home in Queens on Feb. 28 and drove him to Baldwin, where the two played pool at Sport Billiard Pool Hall.

Ramirez, who was driving a black 2024 Lexus NX250, then drove the victim to Jones Beach for a short time before heading to Gilgo Beach, prosecutors said.

At Gilgo Beach, prosecutors said the two men were walking back to Ramirez’s vehicle when Ramirez came up behind the victim, covered his mouth with a black cloth, and stabbed him in the left side.

Ramirez then tried to slit the victim’s throat and cut him across the neck as the two struggled, prosecutors said. The victim suffered defensive wounds to his hands, but was able to wrestle the knife away from Ramirez.

After the victim gained control of the knife, both men got back into Ramirez’s vehicle, according to prosecutors. Ramirez then got out of the car, and the victim drove away, leaving him behind on the side of the road.

The victim, who was unfamiliar with the area, called 911 and also reached out to a friend for help, prosecutors said. He drove to that friend’s house in Queens, where New York City police met him. He was then taken by ambulance to a hospital in New York City for treatment.

Ramirez was arrested later that same day after authorities found him walking along the Long Island Expressway in Nassau County, prosecutors said.

A search of Ramirez’s Lexus turned up three kitchen knives, including one that appeared to have blood on it, as well as rope, duct tape, blankets, plastic drop cloths, a large-wheeled bag, gloves, and a boxcutter, prosecutors said.

Ramirez was arraigned before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice John Collins, who ordered him held on $200,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or a $2 million partially secured bond while the case is pending.

If convicted on the top count, Ramirez faces between 5 and 25 years in prison, prosecutors said.

He is due back in court on April 29. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“This defendant allegedly drove a man that he knew to a remote beach and attacked him from behind with a knife,” Tierney said. “The evidence recovered from his vehicle raises serious questions about what he intended that night. We are committed to holding him accountable for the full extent of his alleged conduct.”