The NYPD has a person of interest in custody in connection with the brutal beating of a mother of two on Randall’s Island — an attack that a police chief called “one of the worst” he’s ever seen — according to the victim’s family and law enforcement sources. No details on the person of interest or the circumstances of the person’s apprehension were immediately provided. More information is expected later Friday. It was a week ago that someone on a walk found Diana Agudelo, a 44-year-old, unconscious just off the bike path on Randall’s Island. She remains in critical condition. “Brutally attacked. Facial fractures. Orbital bone cracked. Skull fracture. The base of her skull is cracked. Her nose is broken. One of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen,” said NYPD Chief Joseph Kenny. News of the person in custody came after the NYPD increased the reward for information in the case. It also comes as the family continues to pray for a miracle. “There are so many questions that I have. I need to know what happened to my mom. She’s not here. She can’t talk to me. She can’t say it physically herself. I need someone. I need answers,” said Agudelo’s daughter, Stephanie Rodas.
Agudelo has been unable to speak or move as she remains on life support. The family said their mother’s surgeon has given her a 99% mortality rate. The prognosis is not good, but Rodas refuses to give up hope. “I see her cry. When she’s on the bed. I was crying next to her and I saw a tear drop fall from her eye,” the 21-year-old daughter said. “So I know she’s there and I know she wants her story to be told. I know she wants justice.” Agudelo was biking home from work at the Museum of the City of New York when police say she was randomly targeted near the 103rd Street foot bridge on Randall’s Island. Her daughter said her mom took the Harlem River Pathway on the island to and from work every day. A spokesperson for the Museum of the City of New York, where Agudelo worked, said in a statement she is a “beloved and devoted member of the staff” and that they were working with police to provide any possible assistance.
The family of Diana Agudelo is anxiously awaiting more information as the NYPD has a person of interest in custody in connection with the brutal beating she endured on Randall’s Island. With no details on the person of interest or the circumstances of their apprehension provided, the family continues to hold out hope for answers. Agudelo, a devoted staff member at the Museum of the City of New York, was found unconscious just off the bike path on Randall’s Island a week ago. Her daughter, Stephanie Rodas, remains by her side as she fights for her life, refusing to give up hope for justice. As the investigation unfolds, the community rallies behind the family, praying for a miracle and seeking closure in this senseless act of violence.
