Detectives officially charged a patient at a Queens psychiatric hospital on Monday night for allegedly stabbing another patient dead earlier that morning in a bloody attack.
Police say 23-year-old David Zheng got into a dispute with 63-year-old Ronald Giacopelli inside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, located at 80-45 Winchester Blvd., and stabbed him multiple times in the lower back and neck with a kitchen knife — killing him.
Giacopelli was found inside Zheng’s room lying face down in a pool of blood at around 10:36 a.m. on Jan. 20; EMS pronounced him dead at the scene. The murder weapon, a kitchen knife, was located nearby, law enforcement sources said.
Staff last reported seeing Giacopelli alive at around 9 p.m. the night prior, Jan. 19, sources familiar with the case said.
Zheng was taken into custody for questioning. Sources familiar with the incident reported that Zheng initially told cops that he woke up and saw Giacopelli on the floor of his room and did not remember anything.
However, sources said, he allegedly later admitted to murdering his victim. It is unclear how he obtained the knife.
Zheng has been charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence. This was his first arrest, police sources said.
Kcassman