Prosecutors allege that a teenager admitted to police that he knew he “was guilty” of attacking a mother of three in Queens with a knife as she was heading to work. The admission reportedly came after authorities presented him with surveillance footage of the incident.
Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce, 18, is said to have confessed to detectives after being shown video evidence of Lisette Ramales being assaulted at a bus stop in East Elmhurst on Monday morning. Assistant District Attorney Isabelle Dudek detailed this during Ponce’s arraignment at Queens Criminal Court late Thursday.
Ponce allegedly told investigators, “If I’m being honest with you, I don’t remember running towards her, but I do remember running after her.” When asked if he recalled stabbing Ramales, he allegedly said, “Seeing the footage, knowing how it looked, I knew I was guilty.”
Authorities claim Ponce also confessed to attempting to flee the country shortly after the attack. He was detained by Port Authority police at JFK Airport just five hours after the incident.
It is alleged that Ponce was trying to board a flight to Peru without a valid boarding pass or ticket.
A detective reportedly asked Ponce, “You’re saying you’re guilty with what you did, right? Do you think that’s the reason why you tried to leave from JFK, you were trying to flee from what you did?” to which Ponce allegedly replied, “Yes, sir.”
During the arraignment, Ponce remained composed and briefly glanced at his father and defense attorney as Dudek described the attack’s events. Ponce is being held without bail, facing an attempted murder charge. His father chose not to comment.
Ramales, a 29-year-old mother of three, was attacked while on her way to work. Ponce allegedly approached her from behind and stabbed her at a bus stop, causing a punctured lung and four stab wounds that needed several stitches.
Dudek explained, “The complainant was walking to a bus stop… on the way to cross the street… somebody came up behind her and repeatedly stabbed her in the back.” She added that Ramales is now very fearful of the defendant.
Ramales remains hospitalized and told The Post from her hospital bed that Ponce “didn’t say anything” during the unprovoked attack.
Ponce’s defense attorney, Michelle Minkin, requested his release so he could seek medical help, arguing to Judge Maria Gonzalez that Ponce, who has no prior arrests, was not in his right state of mind. “My client received medical psychiatric attention shortly following the allegations in this case,” Minkin said. She also asserted that Ponce would benefit from treatment and other supportive services, and that his father would ensure he attends appointments.
The judge decided to keep Ponce in custody, noting that “the negative factors outweigh the positive” in this situation.
The teenager is scheduled to appear in court again on March 24.
