A 59-year-old mother was slashed to death in her Queens home on the Fourth of July, and her 30-year-old suspect daughter remained on the loose as New York City's crime numbers keep climbing.
Ausha Ramlakhan was found bloodied from neck and shoulder wounds at her South Ozone Park residence around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the New York Post. Another family member discovered the victim and called 911. Emergency workers could only pronounce her dead at the scene. The suspect fled on foot, last seen wearing patriotic colors—blue yoga pants, a red tank top, and white sneakers. A motive remains unknown.
This killing appears to be the first homicide this year in the 106th Precinct, but the broader crime picture should alarm every New Yorker who still believes public safety is government's first job. Major crimes are up 7% year-to-date—782 incidents compared to 730 at the same point last year, per NYPD data cited by the Post. Felony assault has surged 18% to 206 from 175. Robbery is up roughly 17%. Grand larceny climbed 16%. Rape reports increased to 11 from seven, though citywide increases in that category have been attributed to a change in the crime's legal definition.
While New Yorkers face this reality, media priorities tell their own story. Atlanta Black Star devoted its July 4th coverage to a viral video of a white resident hurling a racial slur at a Black motorist and threatening to "take him out"—only to get slapped to the ground for his trouble. An ugly incident, certainly. But it ended with bruised pride and broken glasses, not a body on the floor and a family destroyed. The video racked up 150,000 views. The Queens stabbing barely registered nationally.
The contrast is stark, and telling. A mother dead in her own home—allegedly at the hands of her own daughter—gets a shrug. A racist getting slapped goes viral. Priorities.
Detectives gathered in front of the Ramlakhan home carrying evidence bags and taking photos, the Post reported. The suspect remains at large.
The precinct's numbers keep climbing. The suspect is still out there. And ordinary New Yorkers are left to wonder: how many more families have to find a loved one bloodied in their own home before city leaders face the consequences of their soft-on-crime posture?
