Eugene Clark: Career criminal who murdered 67-yr-old man freed WITHOUT bail by NYC court
A career criminal charged with murder in February for allegedly beating a 67-year-old man to death was freed without bail by a Manhattan judge on Thursday, March 10. Eugene Clark was on parole when he was initially charged by cops with assault for beating Ramon Luna, 67, on September 20, 2020. The 67-year-old was knocked into a coma before dying from his injuries in August 2021, as per police sources.
The police authorities said Clark, 54, allegedly struck Luna in the head, causing the victim to fall to the ground and lose consciousness at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem. As Luna lay defenseless on the ground, Clark and another man allegedly snatched some of the victim's belongings from his pockets, as per prosecutors. A third suspect who is now charged with assault and grand larceny allegedly poured an unknown substance on Luna’s face and also rifled through the victim's pockets.
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After the vicious attack, Luna was taken to Harlem Hospital where doctors discovered that the victim had suffered multiple brain bleeds, according to a criminal complaint. As per reports, police busted Clark, nine days after the brutal attack. During the questioning, Clark allegedly identified himself on the surveillance video that captured the incident and admitted to pushing the victim to the ground. The alleged assailant was also slapped with a grand larceny charge and ultimately released on bail on his initial charges.
But following Luna’s death on August 4, 2021, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office convened a grand jury in the case. On February 2, the grand jury in Manhattan Supreme Court, indicated Clark with murder in the second degree, assault, two counts of robbery and grand larceny. The suspect was arraigned Thursday, March 10, on the superseding charges. At the hearing, Manhattan prosecutors requested that Clark be remanded without bail.
But in a shocking move, Judge April Newbauer released Clark on his own recognizance. Clark, who will be screened for electronic monitoring, is due back in court on June 12. Sources said Clark has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1983 for charges including robbery, gang assault and criminal sale of a controlled substance. At the time of his alleged attack on Luna, Clark was out on parole for a past robbery, sources said.
One source familiar with the investigation slammed Newbauer’s decision to free Clark. The source said, "I couldn't believe it" before adding, "Never, in all my years, have I heard of something like this before. [Clark] implicated himself in [Luna's] death and now he’s free? Even the DA asked for remand." Newbauer had also previously faced scrutiny for her decision not to jail a woman who was later charged with murder.