Man pleads guilty to stabbing aunt to death as her child watched

A Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of his aunt in New York.

Richie Desauguste, 28, who has been held without bail since his arrest in March of this year, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, the Queens DA announced. Desauguste is slated to be sentenced in January to 23 years in prison.

“While the defendant has now been held accountable for his actions, hopefully the victim’s family can take consolation during this holiday season knowing that justice has been served for their loved one,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement.

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In October 2014, Desauguste reportedly stabbed Rose Ragsdale, 66, 12 times with an icepick as her daughter watched inside their Queens home, the New York Post stated. During the incident, the killer was wearing all black and a mask as a disguise, sources claimed.

Investigators were building a case against Desauguste, considered the prime suspect, the Post added. He was eventually caught months later inside a Long Island Applebee’s restaurant.

At that time, he was charged with murder and possession of a weapon, authorities told the Post.

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Desauguste also had multiple prior arrests, but they were sealed, according to the Post.

Ragsdale had been a school bus attendant for special-needs children in Queens, NBC reported.