The mom of a postal worker stabbed to death in a Manhattan deli slammed prosecutors Wednesday for striking a deal to let her son’s ruthless killer take a plea deal for just 15 years behind bars.
“She’s going to get out early and kill again,” Ada Rice told The Post after Jaia Cruz, 24, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the Jan. 2 slaying of USPS postman Roy Hodge at Joe’s Deli Grocery in Harlem.
The plea deal comes less than three months after prosecutors indicted Cruz on a second-degree murder charge for the broad-daylight killing, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years to life.
But Hodge’s mom said she was left stunned when Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Clerkin told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro that Cruz “expresses remorse and has asked to accept responsibility for [Hodge’s] death” — despite prosecutors’ admitting Hodge’s family opposed the offer.
Rice said she was left “very upset” with the judicial system in part because she claims the Manhattan DA’s office had told her that they believed in the strength of the case, especially a video from inside the bodega which allegedly shows Cruz spar with Hodge after he cut her in line at the deli counter.
“Initially, the DA told me that there would be no plea deal because they said they saw the video and [that they’re] satisfied,” Rice said, who also expressed regret as to why Cruz hasn’t been charged federally.
“I’m upset this person wasn’t charged federally,” she said. “[My son] died in a federal uniform, which makes him a federal employee.”
The two then got into it when Hodge threw a plastic lemon juice bottle at Cruz before she began to stab him multiple times, prosecutors have said. When Hodge collapsed to the ground, Cruz stood over him and said, “He deserved it.”
Prosecutors said that Cruz had requested an early resolution in the case.
At the hearing Wednesday, one of Hodge’s supporters had to be escorted out by court officer because she flipped out at the offer.
“This is not justice!” the woman screamed inside the courtroom, according to witnesses. “You said you was happy to see him die!”
Cruz’s attorney, Mitchell Schuman, did not immediately respond to comment regarding the plea deal.
Schuman had accused Hodge of being the aggressor at Cruz’s arraignment in January, claiming that video showed he took off his jacket and struck her first — causing Cruz to react and stab him with the knife.
He also said that Hodge berated her with slurs before the altercation.
As part of the plea deal, Cruz will also be sentenced to five years supervised release.
She is expected to be sentenced on May 28.
