Career criminal freed without bail after fatal beating of elderly man

According to the New York Post, Eugene Clark was out on parole when he was charged by cops with assault for the September 20, 2020 beating of 67-year-old Ramon Luna.

54-year-old Clark hit Luna in the head, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem.

While Luna was lying on the ground, Clark and another man allegedly searched the victims pockets and stole some of his belongings, prosecutors said.

A third suspect by the name of Unique Powers allegedly poured an unidentified substance on Luna’s face, and also searched through his pants. She has been charged with with assault and grand larceny in the case.

Luna was taken to Harlem Hospital. Doctors there found that Luna had suffered multiple brain bleeds. Luna was knocked into a coma, and in August of 2021, succumbed to his injuries.

Police arrested Clark just nine days after the attack.

"During questioning, he allegedly identified himself on surveillance video that captured the incident and admitted to pushing the victim to the ground, according to prosecutors and sources," the New York Post reported.

Clark was issued a grand larceny charge and ultimately released on bail on his initial charges, but after Luna’s death on August 4, 2021, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office convened a grand jury in the case.

On February 2, a grand jury in Manhattan Supreme Court indicted Clark for murder in the second degree, assault, two counts of robbery and grand larceny.

On Thursday, Clark was arraigned. In the hearing, Manhattan prosecutors requested that Clark be remanded without bail. Instead, Judge April Newbauer released Clark on his own recognizance.

Clark will reportedly be screened for electronic monitoring, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 12.

"Sources said Clark has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1983 for charges including robbery, gang assault and criminal sale of a controlled substance," the New York Post reported.

At the time of his alleged attack on Luna, Clark had been out on parole for a previous robbery.

One source familiar with the investigation spoke with the New York Post, slamming Newbauer’s decision to free Clark.

"I couldn’t believe it," the source said. "Never, in all my years, have I heard of something like this before. [Clark] implicated himself in [Luna’s] death and now he’s free? Even the DA asked for remand."

Newbauer previously faced scrutiny over two years ago for the decision to not jail a woman that was later charged with murder.

In December of 2021, Kaylha Armand had pleaded guilty to two assault cases, which included an attack on a Rikers Island correction officer in 2018.

Prosecutors sought a one to three year prison sentence for Armand, but Newbauer instead ordered Armand to undergo mental health treatment and check in periodically in court.

In August of the same year, then 20-year-old Armand was arrested arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death in Washington Heights, Manhattan.