Unhinged U-Haul driver says deadly Brooklyn rampage was ‘judgment day’ for his 9 victims
A deranged U-Haul driver was aiming to create a one-man “judgment day” on the streets of Brooklyn when he plowed into nine innocent strangers, prosecutors revealed Wednesday.
“Defendant said he wanted to hit those people that disturbed him the most,” prosecutor David Ingle said in Brooklyn Criminal Court at the arraignment for accused killer Weng Sor. “[He said], ‘That’s why I hit them. It’s judgment day. I wanted to end by taking out enemies. Shoot me, I will not give in.’”
The mentally ill Sor was arrested Monday after targeting the helpless victims during a bizarre spree in which one person was killed, another was left fighting for his life and seven suffered injuries from broken bones to bruises during the hour of horror.
Authorities said Sor was living in the rental truck after picking the vehicle up in Florida and heading north. He then made two unwanted visits at the Brooklyn home of his ex-wife and estranged son, with a friend of the suspect’s family telling the Daily News that Sor also intended to stop for a visit with ex-President Donald Trump while in the Sunshine State.
The rental paperwork recovered from the U-Haul driven by Sor had the name “Trump” written in the margins, a source told The News on Wednesday.
The defendant stood mutely with his head down during the Brooklyn Criminal Court hearing, wearing camouflage pants and a leather jacket barely 48 hours after his arrest following a high-speed chase.
Prosecutors say the deranged driver specifically drove his vehicle into the fleeing victims, and family members said Sor was off his medications.
The 62-year-old suspect howled at police to shoot him when taken into custody.
A 44-year-old single dad was the only person to die in the rampage, in which scores of pedestrians scrambled for cover after Sor steered the runaway truck onto the sidewalk.
The other victims suffered broken legs, a broken rib, and head and knee injuries, according to a criminal complaint, with the suspect arrested by the NYPD after a 30-minute chase. He was charged with murder, seven counts of attempted murder and attempted assault, and eight counts of assault.
Sor, who drove to New York from Florida in the rented U-Haul truck, was held without bail and placed in protective custody pending a March 16 court appearance.
“This defendant is charged with murder in the second degree,” said Ingle. “He has multiple counts of attempted murder. ... The defendant has demonstrated risk of flight to avoid prosecution. We believe remand is the least restrictive way to ensure his return to court on each and every date.”
The defendant was arrested following the lethal and unprovoked attack, with Sor telling police he was hallucinating before going on the violent spree. His lawyer raised questions about the defendant’s mental health.
“At this point, I have serious concerns about Mr. Sor’s ability to assist in his own defense,” said defense attorney Andrew Friedman. “I am asking for a court order of mental evaluation.”
Sor’s criminal record in Nevada, where he lived with this mother, included 17 months behind bars for stabbing his brother in 2015 and the stabbings of two people in 2020. Court documents indicated he spent several months in state psychiatric facilities before pleading guilty in the more recent case.
He was arrested a total of six times in Nevada between 2002 and 2020 on a variety of charges, including two for domestic battery and one for attempting to evade a highway patrol officer.
A high-ranking law enforcement official provided details on the defendant’s two prior New York incidents, with the emotionally disturbed Sor first taken into custody on July 8, 2019, after running between cars and yelling at drivers in Queens. He was taken to Queens Hospital Center for medical evaluation, the official said.
He also received a Feb. 8 speeding ticket for driving 72 mph in a 50-mph zone in the same vicinity where the deadly attack took place.
