Who is Aaron Garcia? Shocking video shows army vet, 37, slash man in Manhattan ATM with hatchet
Trigger Warning: Graphic content.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A 51-year-old man inside a Manhattan bank ATM being attacked with a machete unprovoked made national headlines on August 15. The gory video of the incident was caught by surveillance cameras sent chills down the backs of people who watched it go viral on the Internet. The brave victim Miguel Solorzano defended himself with all he had and fortunately survived the vicious attack which left his blood splattered around the crime scene. A manhunt for the attacker, Aaron Garcia, came to an end on August 17 after the suspect was arrested from Chelsea where he was smashing the windows of parked cars and businesses at around 10 pm.
The attack took place in the midst of the rising crime rate in New York and there is an uptick in assaults taking place in broad daylight. Earlier this month, Jayquan Lewis who made appearances on 'Law & Order' died after he was shot seven times at a Bronx deli. A Brooklyn man was brutally hit and the attacker stomped his head on July 24, the video from the incident has gone viral. On July 25, a man dragged an 11-year-old girl in an alley in Queens threatening her with sexual assault before fleeing with her belongings.
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Who is Aaron Garcia?
Garcia, Solorzano's suspected attacker is a 37-year-old military vet. Along with this incident he is also suspected of attacking two other strangers earlier this month, according to the authorities. Cops in Yonkers have an active arrest warrant against him and were looking for taking him in custody over an unspecified event from February 15 and on four bench warrants for failing to appear in court, according to sources.
A police source also said Garcia is the subject of five previous emotionally disturbed person calls dating back to July 2020. The Yonkers resident has been arrested eight times in the past for stalking, harassment and violating an order of protection. After being arrested on August 17 night, Garcia was taken to Bellevue Hospital, the same place where his victim Solorzano is recuperating, for a psychiatric evaluation.
Garcia was suspected of another unsuspected assault in Lower Manhattan earlier this month. He had allegedly kicked another person without warning on South Street on August 3 at 6:20 pm, according to sources. Earlier that day he had allegedly brandished a knife and pointed it at a passer-by who yelled at him to stop urinating in public on Pine Street. Shocking footage from Chase Bank ATM showed Garcia attack Solarzano on August 15. The victim had no clue he was going to be attacked and Garcia had sneaked upon him.
Garcia repeatedly attacked Solorzano with the hatchet, striking his legs and then swinging the weapon over his head. He then allegedly walked up to all the ATM kiosks and smashed their screens, dropped the weapon and fled from the scene, according to police.