Now, authorities are using the frightening incident to highlight the potential threats of untreated mental illness to police and New York City residents, which they say is an ongoing issue highlighted by a number of recent events.
The parents of Ariel Russo are expected to be in court to witness the appearance of 17-year-old Franklin Reyes, who is facing second-degree manslaughter charges in the June incident.
New York City officials said Friday they will further investigate the delay in responding to the scene of a car crash where a 4-year-old girl was crushed.
Parents Sofia and Alan Russo got their first look at the teenage driver who was driving his parent's SUV without a license when he ran down Ariel Russo and her grandmother on June 4.
Detectives say a woman was found beaten to death in an apartment on 94th Street. The body of a man was also found in the apartment. Police suspect he hanged himself.
FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano says human error is behind a delay getting an ambulance to the scene of an accident that killed a 4-year-old girl on the Upper West Side Tuesday.
Yoselyn Ortega, the nanny accused of slaying the two young children of a Manhattan couple, has been indicted by a grand jury on first- and second-degree murder charges.