Slain Mailman's Family Slams Alvin Bragg's Office Over Reduced Charges For Trans Killer: 'she'll Kill Again'

Jaia Cruz, a 24-year-old repetition offender from New York City who pleaded blameworthy to fatally stabbing U.S. Postal Carrier Ray Hodge III during an statement successful a Harlem sandwich shop successful January will service conscionable 15 years arsenic portion of a plea woody from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

Hodge was 36 years aged and had 2 children. His family had vehemently opposed nan deal, relatives told Fox News Digital.

Cruz picked a conflict pinch Hodge complete who was first successful statement astatine nan edifice connected Manhattan's Lenox Avenue, betwixt West 118th and West 119th Streets, according to prosecutors. 

MAILMAN MURDER SUSPECT WITH HISTORY OF VIOLENCE INDICTED IN BRAZEN LUNCH BREAK ATTACK

Jaia Cruz transported by nan NYPD from nan 28th Precinct aft being charged pinch stabbing a USPS postal worker to decease successful a deli while he was taking a luncheon break. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa/IMAGN)

They said successful tribunal Wednesday that respective bystanders, including horrified customers and chap postal carriers, tried to intervene successful nan statement earlier Cruz pulled retired a knife. 

She'll termination again. Why? Because she only sewage 15.

"The unfortunate threw a vessel astatine nan suspect and past nan unfortunate attempted to disarm nan defendant," prosecutors said. "During nan beingness altercation, [the] suspect stabbed nan unfortunate galore times, resulting successful his death."

Cruz walked location aft nan onslaught and was arrested later. Hodge was pronounced deceased astatine Harlem Hospital. He was a begetter of 2 whose colleagues astatine nan USPS remembered him arsenic a "great, benignant soul" connected societal media.

USPS postal bearer Ray Hodge III delivers nan message successful an undated family photograph provided by his brother, Ed Rice. (Courtesy of Ed Rice)

Throughout nan case, Cruz appeared successful tribunal wearing protective restraint mittens handcuffed successful place.

Prosecutors reduced nan second-degree murder complaint to first-degree manslaughter successful speech for nan blameworthy plea, telling nan judge that Cruz, done an attorney, expressed remorse and wanted to return work for nan crime.

Cruz stabbed Hodge 7 times, according to his mother, Ada Rice, past gloated astir it.

MAILMAN'S FAMILY BREAKS SILENCE AFTER FATHER OF 2 KILLED ON LUNCH BREAK

US Postal Carrier Ray Hodge III successful an undated family photo. Hodge was killed connected his luncheon break successful January by a repetition offender who stabbed him 7 times complete an statement astir who was first successful line. (Stacy Rice/Facebook)

"She didn't show remorse initially successful nan beginning. She said she was happy erstwhile she was stabbing him," Rice told Fox News Digital. "She stabbed him. She kept stabbing him. She didn't stab him once, she stabbed him 7 times. She said he was gonna beryllium caterpillar food. She enjoyed it. She told different newsman she hates Black men."

Crime segment portion extracurricular nan Harlem sandwich shop wherever US mailman Ray Hodge III was killed successful January. (Peter Gerber)

Based connected that, she said she would person expected stiffer punishment. If convicted of nan first charge, Cruz could've faced a maximum of life successful prison.

"I don't understand what nan problem is," Rice said.

She said nan plea woody sends a deadly connection to repeat offenders.

"They're mounting an illustration that it's OK to murder," she told Fox News Digital. "You will beryllium location truthful quick, because moreover though it says connected insubstantial 15, they'll ne'er do 15 years, truthful they won't deliberation doubly astir it."

SUSPECT CHARGED IN FATAL STABBING OF POSTAL WORKER IN NYC DELI OVER SPOT IN LINE HAS HISTORY OF KNIFE VIOLENCE

Fellow postal workers look connected arsenic constabulary analyse nan execution of their workfellow Ray Hodge III during his luncheon break successful New York City. (Peter Gerber)

And they whitethorn not deliberation doubly astir going backmost to situation aft they get out, she added.

"She'll termination again. Why? Because she only sewage 15," she said. "She didn't person to do nan full 15. What's going to extremity her?"

Cruz, who is transgender and antecedently went by nan sanction Alvin, is expected to get 15 years down bars and different 5 years of post-release supervision astatine a general sentencing connected May 29.

Rice said she hopes that national prosecutors will return up nan case, since her boy was a U.S. authorities worker who died while connected nan job.

Cruz was initially charged pinch second-degree execution but took a plea woody for first-degree manslaughter. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa/IMAGN)

"The family didn’t spot justness coming successful nan courtroom," Hodge’s brother, Ed Rice, said Wednesday. "The DA asked what nan family wanted twice, and we said, ‘No deal. Let Cruz do each nan clip needed for nan premeditated execution of my brother.’"

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Hours aft Cruz killed Hodge, nan New York Post revealed that nan suspected slayer had "a history of weapon violence" that included a knifepoint mugging, menacing different personification pinch a container cutter and resisting arrest.

Bragg drew disapproval for investing important resources into prosecutions of President Trump arsenic good arsenic subway chokehold fishy Daniel Penny, nan second of whom was recovered not blameworthy aft his defense said he placed a bum madman successful a headlock to protect different passengers. 

But his agency did not respond to questions astir why Cruz's lawsuit didn't person a akin level of resources.