Slain mailman's family slams Alvin Bragg's office over reduced charges for trans killer: 'She'll kill again'

Jaia Cruz, a 24-year-old repetition offender from New York City who pleaded blameworthy to fatally stabbing U.S. Postal Carrier Ray Hodge III during an statement successful a Harlem sandwich store successful January volition service conscionable 15 years arsenic portion of a plea woody from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

Hodge was 36 years aged and had 2 children. His household had vehemently opposed the deal, relatives told Fox News Digital.

Cruz picked a combat with Hodge implicit who was archetypal successful enactment astatine the edifice connected Manhattan's Lenox Avenue, betwixt West 118th and West 119th Streets, according to prosecutors. 

MAILMAN MURDER SUSPECT WITH HISTORY OF VIOLENCE INDICTED IN BRAZEN LUNCH BREAK ATTACK

Jaia Cruz transported by the NYPD from the 28th Precinct aft being charged with stabbing a USPS postal idiosyncratic to decease successful a deli portion helium was taking a luncheon break. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa/IMAGN)

They said successful tribunal Wednesday that respective bystanders, including horrified customers and chap postal carriers, tried to intervene successful the statement earlier Cruz pulled retired a knife. 

She'll termination again. Why? Because she lone got 15.

"The unfortunate threw a vessel astatine the suspect and past the unfortunate attempted to disarm the defendant," prosecutors said. "During the carnal altercation, [the] suspect stabbed the unfortunate galore times, resulting successful his death."

Cruz walked location aft the onslaught and was arrested later. Hodge was pronounced deceased astatine Harlem Hospital. He was a begetter of 2 whose colleagues astatine the USPS remembered him arsenic a "great, benignant soul" connected societal media.

USPS postal bearer Ray Hodge III delivers the message successful an undated household photograph provided by his brother, Ed Rice. (Courtesy of Ed Rice)

Throughout the case, Cruz appeared successful tribunal wearing protective restraint mittens handcuffed successful place.

Prosecutors reduced the second-degree execution complaint to first-degree manslaughter successful speech for the blameworthy plea, telling the justice that Cruz, done an attorney, expressed remorse and wanted to instrumentality work for the crime.

Cruz stabbed Hodge 7 times, according to his mother, Ada Rice, past gloated astir it.

MAILMAN'S FAMILY BREAKS SILENCE AFTER FATHER OF 2 KILLED ON LUNCH BREAK

US Postal Carrier Ray Hodge III successful an undated household photo. Hodge was killed connected his luncheon interruption successful January by a repetition offender who stabbed him 7 times implicit an statement astir who was archetypal successful line. (Stacy Rice/Facebook)

"She didn't amusement remorse initially successful the beginning. She said she was blessed erstwhile she was stabbing him," Rice told Fox News Digital. "She stabbed him. She kept stabbing him. She didn't stab him once, she stabbed him 7 times. She said helium was gonna beryllium maggot food. She enjoyed it. She told different newsman she hates Black men."

Crime country portion extracurricular the Harlem sandwich store wherever US mailman Ray Hodge III was killed successful January. (Peter Gerber)

Based connected that, she said she would person expected stiffer punishment. If convicted of the archetypal charge, Cruz could've faced a maximum of beingness successful prison.

"I don't recognize what the occupation is," Rice said.

She said the plea woody sends a deadly connection to repetition offenders.

"They're mounting an illustration that it's OK to murder," she told Fox News Digital. "You volition beryllium location truthful quick, due to the fact that adjacent though it says connected insubstantial 15, they'll ne'er bash 15 years, truthful they won't deliberation doubly astir it."

SUSPECT CHARGED IN FATAL STABBING OF POSTAL WORKER IN NYC DELI OVER SPOT IN LINE HAS HISTORY OF KNIFE VIOLENCE

Fellow postal workers look connected arsenic constabulary analyse the execution of their workfellow Ray Hodge III during his luncheon interruption successful New York City. (Peter Gerber)

And they whitethorn not deliberation doubly astir going backmost to situation aft they get out, she added.

"She'll termination again. Why? Because she lone got 15," she said. "She didn't person to bash the full 15. What's going to halt her?"

Cruz, who is transgender and antecedently went by the sanction Alvin, is expected to get 15 years down bars and different 5 years of post-release supervision astatine a ceremonial sentencing connected May 29.

Rice said she hopes that national prosecutors volition instrumentality up the case, since her lad was a U.S. authorities worker who died portion connected the job.

Cruz was initially charged with second-degree execution but took a plea woody for first-degree manslaughter. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa/IMAGN)

"The household didn’t spot justness contiguous successful the courtroom," Hodge’s brother, Ed Rice, said Wednesday. "The DA asked what the household wanted twice, and we said, ‘No deal. Let Cruz bash each the clip needed for the premeditated execution of my brother.’"

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Hours aft Cruz killed Hodge, the New York Post revealed that the suspected slayer had "a past of weapon violence" that included a knifepoint mugging, menacing different idiosyncratic with a container cutter and resisting arrest.

Bragg drew disapproval for investing important resources into prosecutions of President Trump arsenic good arsenic subway chokehold fishy Daniel Penny, the second of whom was recovered not blameworthy aft his defence said helium placed a stateless madman successful a headlock to support different passengers. 

But his bureau did not respond to questions astir wherefore Cruz's lawsuit didn't person a akin level of resources.