Alleged ax assailant held without bail after new allegations

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The alleged ATM ax attacker used his gun to threaten another man in the same lobby of a Lower Manhattan bank less than 90 minutes before repeatedly punching an unsuspecting victim in the head and body. leg, authorities accused in court documents Thursday.

Aaron Garcia, 37, also has a history of unprovoked violence, including attacking three random strangers in Maryland, a prosecutor said during his arraignment.

The mentally ill US Army veteran was taken into custody without bail following the brief Manhattan Criminal Court proceedings, in which he was left handcuffed behind his back after being driven by two judicial officers.

Garcia – who was wearing an oversized light blue hospital outfit and slipper socks – kept his eyes narrowed as he glanced around the courtroom, angrily staring at anyone who met his gaze.

He has been charged with attempted second degree murder, first degree assault, third degree assault and second degree threatening in three separate incidents – including the ATM incident – this month .

Most serious was the terrifying ax attack on film on restaurant worker Miguel Solorzano, 50, who suffered several cuts and gashes when Garcia allegedly attacked him without warning while Solorzano was using an ATM around 5:20 p.m. on Sunday.

Alleged ax attacker Aaron Garcia in court for his arraignment on August 19, 2021. Steven Hirsch

The incident took place at Chase’s 42 Broadway branch, a short walk from the famous ‘Charging Bull’ statue, one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions, and gruesome photos that surfaced on Thursday showed paramedics treating the bloody victim on the sidewalk outside.

Solorzano – who cannot walk because of his leg injuries and feels dizzy even from light exertion – is still being treated for his injuries at Bellevue Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain, according to the lawsuit against Garcia.

Solarzano is also facing additional surgeries, according to the complaint.

Before Solarzano was attacked, Garcia allegedly threatened another man around 4:05 p.m. Sunday inside Chase’s hall, saying “I should kill you by the king” while wielding an ax or an ax, according to the complaint.

Miguel Solorzano after the ax attack on the Lower Manhattan bank on August 15, 2021.

And around 5:20 p.m. on August 3, Garcia allegedly kicked a third man in the face near Lower Manhattan’s Pier 17, which is home to several restaurants and a rooftop concert hall.

In addition to the alleged attacks in Maryland, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Sophie Robart said Garcia’s criminal record included an arrest with a concealed handgun in North Carolina in 2009.

Solorzano taken to hospital after brutal assault Polaris

He is wanted in Yonkers under an open arrest warrant and four arrest warrants for failing to appear in court, she said.

The charges there include the harassment and harassment of an unidentified victim, and “Yonkers is coming for him,” Robart said.

The prosecutor said the allegations against him in Manhattan would be presented to a grand jury on Monday and argued that Garcia’s imprisonment was “the least restrictive way” to ensure he returns to court.

Garcia was held without bail after prosecutors alleged he had a history of attacks and threatened someone just before the ax attack. Steven hirsch

But she asked Judge Robert Rosenthal to demand a bond of $ 1.5 million in case he decides to set a bond.

Garcia’s legal aid attorney, Tim Pruitt, did not contest the prosecution’s request but requested that Garcia receive unspecified “medical assistance”.

Garcia did not speak and his lawyer did not argue against the charges against him.

Garcia’s mother Sarah Garcia exclusively told The Post on Wednesday that her son had fallen into “sheer madness” after six years in the US military, including a final tour of duty in Iraq.

A military spokesperson confirmed Thursday that Aaron Garcia served as a military police officer from July 2002 to June 2009 and was deployed to Iraq from November 2006 to February 2008.

He was discharged as a sergeant and won more than 10 awards, including an Army Medal of Honor, two Army Good Conduct Medals, a Korean Defense Service Medal, and an Army Badge. combat action, the spokesperson said.

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