The mother of a New York City EMS worker stabbed inside an ambulance by a convicted felon last week blamed the state’s bail reform for the savage attack — and said that the Big Apple “has failed its people.”
Cara Fatum-Grant, the mother of 25-year-old EMT Julia Fatum, wrote on Facebook that her daughter’s accused assailant should never have been allowed to roam the streets free, given his extensive criminal history.
“Fact: Rouldoph (sic) “Rudy” Garcia, 48 of Bronx NY has eight prior arrests, including criminal possession of a weapon, assault, menacing with a weapon, drugs, burglary & assault on a police officer,” Fatum-Grant wrote in a post. “He has been released back into civilization 8 times.”
“New York has failed its people,” she added. “How is your bail reform working????”
Fatum-Grant was referring to a 2019 state law that eliminated the use of cash bail for most misdemeanors and some non-violent felony charges, which has allowed suspected offenders to be released pending trial.
A photo shared by the mom earlier showed her daughter reclining in a hospital bed with bandages on her left leg.
In a brief statement released through her mother, Fatum thanked her supporters and said she was “stable and on the road to recovery.”
In an update Tuesday, the mom shared that Julia was set to be discharged Wednesday from Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she has been treated for her injuries for a week.
“We are so excited to share that Julia is going home,” Fatum-Grant gushed. “First stage of recovery [is] in the books!”
Fatum, a member of the Mt. Sinai and NYU EMS, was transporting Garcia to the hospital after responding to a cardiac arrest call on the Upper West Side on July 19 when he allegedly produced a kitchen knife and proceeded to stab the medic in the arm and leg.
The 48-year-old has been described as being emotionally disturbed, according to sources speaking to The Post, but no exact motive for the knife attack has been released.
Graphic video obtained by The Post showed the chaotic aftermath of Fatum’s stabbing, depicting the bloodied EMT collapsing to the ground while screaming and sobbing.
“I don’t know what happened,” Garcia could be heard saying, after being ordered by first responders to “back off” and keep his hands down.
“You stabbed her, bro!” an EMS worker replies.
During Garcia’s arraignment Friday, prosecutors revealed that Fatum sustained wounds to the chest, arm and leg resulting in “significant” blood loss, and suffered nerve damage in her thigh requiring additional surgery.
After Garcia was taken into custody, he told a detective the EMTs treating him “are fake” and “kidnapped” him and argued he didn’t need medical help, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Breen told the court.
Garcia was arraigned on a count of attempted murder and ordered held on $500,000 bail.
According to police and prosecutors, Garcia’s criminal history includes eight prior arrests – the most recent in June after he was caught in a subway station with a knife hidden in his boot.
Garcia has two prior felony convictions for assaulting a police officer and three misdemeanor convictions, prosecutors said.
In 2017, he headbutted a cop who was trying to arrest him for allegedly punching his sister.
He also has a prior conviction for criminal possession of a weapon for carrying a boxcutter. Additional charges in Garcia’s rap sheet include menacing, drug possession, and robbery.