photo by Flickr user Lauren Brown
On the first day of October 2020, beloved actor Rick Moranis was punched in the head while taking a morning walk around 70th and Central Park West, near his apartment building.
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Moranis had sustained minor injuries to his head, back and hip, and went to the hospital for an evaluation before reporting the crime to the 20th Precinct.
The NYPD released photos and a video of the suspect — who various sources say is homeless — carrying out his attack. A couple weeks later, then 35-year-old Marquis Ventura was arrested when police officers spotted him near the subway station at 72nd and Broadway.
Now 37, it’s been reported that Ventura is facing two years in jail and three years of post-release supervision — over this and “six other charges in connection with four other unprovoked attacks,” writes the New York Post. One of those additional assaults took place on the very same day, when Ventura assaulted a Soho liquor store owner and stole a bottle of champagne.?WANTED for ASSAULT: On 10/1, at 7:24 AM, a 67-year-old male victim was walking southbound on Central Park West in the vicinity of West 70th Street, when an unidentified male struck him in the head with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground. Have info? Call/DM @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/ZvSUPjtVdp
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 2, 2020
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According to the Daily Mail, Ventura “has been arrested more than 13 times” — five of which have been over felonies.
According to GHOSTBUSTERSNEWS.COM, Ventura “refused two attempted psychiatric examinations.”
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23.
The now 69-year-old Rick Moranis is best known for his roles in Honey I Shrunk the Kids, the first two Ghostbusters movies, Spaceballs and Little Shop of Horrors.
Two years is not enough, but it’s something. Guy is clearly extremely disturbed, violent and antisocial and should be kept away from society, whether in jail or (yeah right) psychiatric institutions.
Curious: What did you mean by yeah right Psychiatric institutions?
I meant that once upon a time in NYC, if someone was deemed criminally insane, he or she would be institutionalized for as long as they were considered a dancer to others. Now (and for decades), there seems neither the money nor will to keep such dangerous (and mentally ill) people off the streets in what few institutions (or beds) remain. If I’m off base in that assessment, feel free to correct me…
Ha ha — funny typo: a *danger* to others, not a dancer….
I think it’s really dumb that the people they’re saving from having to live years in psychiatric institutions just end up being recidivists in jails and prisons.
Dancing might be good therapy. I should try it myself.
Good thing we have public housing! Otherwise, he would have to work.
Fair point. Let’s eliminate public housing and reinstitute debtors’ prisons.
There are two ways to enslave a person, work him for no pay and pay him for no work. A human being without a purpose is lost, supporting this lifestyle without providing assistance that leads to a productive, purpose filled life is tantamount to enslavement.
How the heck did we get on the track or poverty? This case has nothing to do with the need for public (and other) housing.
That is a rather myopic take… Homelessness and mental illness go hand-in-hand, and as long as income disparity continues to widen, inflation continues to get worse while pay remains the same, and poverty continues to spread, we will see more of these occurrences happening.