Liyong Ye, 47, charged with murder in NYC hammer attack that killed mom, seriously injured young kids
The hammer-wielding attacker who allegedly bludgeoned a Brooklyn mom to death and critically injured her two young kids was charged with murder and attempted murder, police said Thursday.
Liyong Ye, 47 – who lived in the same Sunset Park rooming house as slain mom Zhao Zhao, 43, and her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter – also faces raps of assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to the senseless Wednesday afternoon beating, cops said.
Officers found the battered mom and kids inside their cramped room in a second-floor apartment of the building, on 52nd Street near Fifth Avenue, when responding to a 911 call just before 2 p.m. for an “assault in progress.”
All three were taken to NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, where the mom died and the two youngsters remained in critical condition early Thursday, according to cops.
The suspect, who had blood on him, was trying to walk out of the building when police arrived and arrested, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a news briefing Wednesday.
Ye, who lives in another room of the small three-bedroom apartment with his 9-year-old son, has no prior arrests, cops said.
Another person rents the third room.
A bloodied hammer was recovered by cops in the building.
“The incident I’m about to describe to you is a horrific and senseless act of violence which took the life of a married mother of two,” Chell told reporters.
“I think I can speak for all New Yorkers when I say our community, all our prayers are with this family at this time.”
Harrowing video obtained by The Post showed police officers carrying the bloodied kids out of the apartment.
Ye was brought to Maimonides Medical Center early Thursday, because he told authorities he was feeling faint, cops said.
From there, he will be taken to Brooklyn Criminal Court for his arraignment.
