This Tuesday, the Bronx saw the tragic demise of Christopher Ames, a patient at a drug rehabilitation center. Ames’ end came 11 days after being severely assaulted by his roommate during his slumber, as reported by local law enforcement.
The accused, Kyron Randall, was apprehended at the “BronxCare Life Recovery Center” situated on Fulton Ave., near E. 169th St., in the Morrisania neighborhood. Witnesses report that the 30-year-old was sharing the room with Ames, who was 56, as they both underwent treatment for addiction.
Following the violent incident, Ames was rushed to Lincoln Hospital in a critical state. He eventually succumbed to his injuries, which included multiple skull fractures from the force of the punches. Randall, the alleged attacker, is now confined at Rikers Island. Initially booked for assault, he now faces more serious charges in the wake of Ames’ death. The reason behind the assault, however, remains a mystery.
Randall’s run-ins with the law aren’t new. Back in 2016, he was apprehended for igniting a fire at a NYCHA apartment in The Bronx. He was initially slapped with arson charges but ended up pleading guilty to reckless endangerment. This earned him a year in prison, as recounted by the Daily News.
The maxim stands that all charges are mere accusations until proven otherwise in a court of law. Everyone accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
New York has recently been haunted by a string of violent incidents involving housemates or neighbors. In April, a 62-year-old man was apprehended for allegedly stabbing his housemate to death in Brooklyn.
In the Bronx, a quarrel over noise levels turned deadly when a woman fatally stabbed her 27-year-old neighbor, a father of two, in March.
Also in the Bronx, a 62-year-old man met a grisly end in his apartment at the hands of his Hispanic roommate in late January. In December, a lengthy noise dispute resulted in a 46-year-old ex-convict surrendering to the police, suspected of fatally shooting his neighbor.
In Midtown Manhattan, a 27-year-old model was killed by her roommate in a shelter in mid-December. The alleged trigger for the fatal stabbing was loud music.