<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1655923413291,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000181-6c75-d082-a1ad-7efd61710000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1655923413291,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000181-6c75-d082-a1ad-7efd61710000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_55919773", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1038247"} }); ","_id":"00000181-8cb9-d66a-a7c3-cfbdb1540000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video Embed
A man who drove through a crowd of people in Times Square in 2017 was cleared of responsibility by a jury for the deadly act.
Richard Rojas was cleared by a New York City jury, which accepted the insanity defense from the defendant. The jury came to the decision after a day of deliberation.
NEW YORK CITY SHOOTING LEAVES ONE DEAD AND EIGHT INJURED
Rojas will have a psychiatric examination performed before he is sent to a psychiatric institution instead of serving a prison sentence.
Rojas faced various charges, including a second-degree murder charge, for driving his car onto a sidewalk in Times Square on May 18, 2017. The incident resulted in the death of 18-year-old tourist Alyssa Elsman and injuries to at least 20 other people.
During the trial, Rojas’s attorney, Enrico DeMarco, claimed the defendant was hearing voices in his head and was not mentally well. DeMarco made the case by playing a video of Rojas in a state of confusion following the incident.
“He lost his mind, it’s very simple, he’s in an acute psychotic moment,” DeMarco said while the video was presented.
The prosecutor, Alfred Peterson, argued Rojas was aware of his actions when he drove into the crowd of people.
“The defendant made a decision that day,” Peterson said. “He went to the ‘crossroads of the world,’ a high-profile place where everyone knows there’s lots and lots of people.”
Jurors determined the defense’s insanity defense was appropriate, coming to the conclusion Rojas was not mentally well.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“At a certain point, the psychosis becomes so severe that he can’t control his behavior anymore,” DeMarco said during the trial.
