A Manhattan man has been charged with the second-degree murder of his 80-year-old neighbor, who was found stabbed to death in his apartment. Alon Riabichev, 45, allegedly told a 911 operator that he had experienced a "psychotic break" and killed Vayner with a knife before hanging up.
The arrest came after police responded to an emergency call at around 3:15 am on Monday morning. When officers arrived, they found Lev Vayner unresponsive in his apartment and covering him in blood. Riabichev was seen sitting further away from the scene inside the apartment.
According to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, Riabichev had initially told the 911 operator that he had lost control after a "psychotic break" and that the knife was on the table. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds, including three to his torso and neck, which ultimately led to his death.
Police revealed that both men were familiar with each other, but they were still investigating potential motives for the violent attack. Riabichev is currently being held in jail pending his next court appearance scheduled for Friday.
In an unusual lightening of violence statistics, this incident falls at a time when homicides and felony assaults in the 34th precinct, which includes Washington Heights and Inwood, have been trending downwards compared to the same period last year.
The arrest came after police responded to an emergency call at around 3:15 am on Monday morning. When officers arrived, they found Lev Vayner unresponsive in his apartment and covering him in blood. Riabichev was seen sitting further away from the scene inside the apartment.
According to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, Riabichev had initially told the 911 operator that he had lost control after a "psychotic break" and that the knife was on the table. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds, including three to his torso and neck, which ultimately led to his death.
Police revealed that both men were familiar with each other, but they were still investigating potential motives for the violent attack. Riabichev is currently being held in jail pending his next court appearance scheduled for Friday.
In an unusual lightening of violence statistics, this incident falls at a time when homicides and felony assaults in the 34th precinct, which includes Washington Heights and Inwood, have been trending downwards compared to the same period last year.
This is just so senseless... like what even is going on with people's minds these days? 
I mean, stabbing some poor old dude to death in his own apartment... it's just not right. 
And the fact that the guy claimed he had a "psychotic break" but hung up on the 911 operator before they could really talk to him... who knows what was going on in his head? 
It's all so tragic. 
and it made me think about how dogs are like the ultimate stress-relievers you know? my neighbor's dog always barks at the mailman and i'm pretty sure he's trying to protect me from getting weird bills 
anyway back to the news... what's up with these 911 operators they gotta deal with all this crazy stuff, poor guy had a psychotic break and still manages to sound calm on the phone 
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? It's like, what's the universe trying to tell us here? Is it saying that we're getting safer or something? Idk, but I do know one thing - if you ever encounter a guy with a knife and he's having a "psychotic break", just...just stay away from him, okay? 
. and can we talk about how random it was that he called 911 and said he had a psychotic break lol what even is wrong with people these days?! anyway, i just hope this guy gets what's coming to him and that justice is served 
It's not right that he just hung up on the 911 operator and didn't even try to call for help or apologize afterwards. 
Anyway, I hope justice is served and that Alon Riabichev gets the help he needs. This whole thing is just so sad and confusing... 
it's crazy that his own words against him were "i had a psychotic break" - it sounds like there were warning signs that no one picked up on
I mean, I've heard of losing control in a psychotic break, but actually doing something like this is just heartbreaking. 
And what really gets me is when the cops found the guy chillin' in the apartment, not even trying to make an excuse or anything. Just sitting there, like "oh yeah, I just killed someone and now I'm gonna hang up on you" 
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. But at the same time, I'm glad the police were able to catch this guy before he did any more damage 
. It's always good to know that justice is being served 
. And on a weird note, seeing the stats for 34th precinct trending down makes me think maybe we're getting safer or something 
. We need to teach them empathy and understanding from a young age so they know the value of human life 
. And what's even more disturbing is that he claimed he had a 'psychotic break' 