A man could face 25 years behind bars for nearly decapitating his girlfriend on a corner in Richmond Hill early this morning.
Prem Rampersaud, 50, who lives in Guyana and is temporarily residing with a friend on 116th Drive in Jamaica, was taken into custody shortly after the attack. According to published reports, witnesses saw Rampersaud kneeling over the victim’s body, making sawing motions with a knife across the victim’s neck. The witnesses said it sounded like he was cutting through the victim’s bone.
Officers from the 106th Precinct arrived at the scene at 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 5 and found the victim, described as a woman in her 40s, with several stab wounds in her neck and torso.
EMS responded to the scene and transported her to Jamaica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The victim has been identified as Rajwantie Baldeo, 46.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Rampersaud met Baldeo as she finished work at an Ozone Park restaurant at approximately midnight. Police sources said that Rampersaud and Baldeo were engaged in a dispute moments before the homicide took place. He was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, Rampersaud faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
The investigation is still ongoing.
