After riot in court: Defendant in stabbing and chase on Staten Island declared unfit to stand trial

STATEN ISLAND, NY — A defendant accused of two frightening encounters in his neighborhood has been declared incompetent to stand trial and is awaiting treatment at a state facility.

Mohammed Ndiaye, of the 200 block of Van Pelt Avenue in Mariners Harbor, is accused of fleeing police in a stolen car in May and attempting to stab a man weeks later, according to court documents.

Ndiaye was arraigned on both counts in July by Judge Lisa Gray in St. George State Supreme Court. His family has been in contact with his lawyers and was present at his arraignment.

At the time, Grey ordered that he be held in police custody pending the results of a psychological evaluation to determine whether he was mentally competent to face the charges against him.

The defendant was brought back into court for a hearing on August 28. Ndiaye, a tall, broad-shouldered man with the sleeves of his T-shirt rolled up, rambled before Gray could get a word out.

“Wait, wait. Whoa, whoa. I don't want this guy to continue to represent me,” Ndiaye said, referring to a public defender from the Legal Aid Society who was assigned to the case. “I'm ready to do whatever you ask of me. I'm going to the north of the state.”

Grey, who had already reviewed the results of the psychiatric examination, left no time to announce her decision and set a date for the adjournment.

The defendant must appear in court again on August 22, 2025, after undergoing state-ordered treatment in a closed facility sometime next year.

Persons who are declared incompetent or incapacitated are deemed to be unable to understand the proceedings against them or to defend themselves.

They will be re-evaluated at a later date after taking medication and counseling to determine if they can then continue.

Stabbing in broad daylight

According to police, it was around 5 p.m. on June 16 when the defendant stabbed a 19-year-old male acquaintance in front of several witnesses.

The violence occurred just steps from the defendant's home in front of another residence on Van Pelt Avenue.

Police said the victim was treated for multiple stab wounds to the abdomen and back.

Pursuit by the NYPD

On the afternoon of May 17, Ndiaye was observed by Staten Island police driving a red 2013 Hyundai that had been reported stolen, authorities said.

According to a criminal complaint, the officer was driving an unmarked vehicle with blue lights and sirens.

Ndiaye left the Dr. Martin Luther King Expressway to escape the officer, police allege.

He is accused of ignoring two stop signs and two continuous red lights before crashing into a metal barrier several blocks from his home.

Then, court documents allege, he exited the car through the driver's side window and fled on foot. The car had been reported stolen that morning in Port Richmond.

After his arrest, he is said to have essentially told the police the following:

“I know it's stolen. I picked it up on Port Richmond Avenue. I was just going home to pick up some clothes.”