Suspect in deadly Brooklyn U-Haul incident makes court appearance, charged with murder and attempted murder
By Rob Frehse and Celina Tebor, CNN
The man suspected of hitting pedestrians while driving a rental truck in Brooklyn Monday, killing one person and injuring eight, appeared in court Wednesday to face charges of murder and attempted murder, according to court records.
Weng Sor, 62, allegedly was driving a U-haul truck and struck people as he fled police, authorities said. A 44-year-old died from injuries sustained and eight other individuals, including a police officer, were injured, New York Police Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a Tuesday news conference.
In Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, the judge remanded Sor and ordered him to undergo a psychiatric exam, court records show.
CNN has reached out to Brooklyn Defender Services for comment and whether a plea was entered in court.
Sor lives in Las Vegas with his mother and traveled to Florida on February 1 where he rented a U-Haul, Essig said Tuesday.
The suspect’s ex-wife and son live in Brooklyn, Essig said, and Sor stopped at their residence twice before Monday’s incident to shower. The second time, he had “an altercation with his son,” Essig told reporters.
“Based on interviews with his family members and confirmed when interrogated by members of the New York City detective bureau, we believe Mr. Sor was suffering from a mental health crisis,” Essig said. “At this time, there is no nexus to terrorism.”
It appears Sor was living in the U-Haul, according to a law enforcement source. Boxes of his clothes and other items were found in the van, the source said.
Sor is scheduled to return to court on March 16, according to court records.
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CNN’s Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report.
