NYC attack suspect served 18 years in South Carolina prison

Low life accused of hitting a city health worker with a hammer previously spent nearly two decades in prison – and was involved in a prison break that left a guard dead, according to sources and reports.

Big Apple law enforcement sources told The Post they were surprised to learn hammer suspect William Blount had a 20-year gap on his rap – with his final bust in 1993 – when he was buried in the horrific attack by Queens last week.

They later learned it was because the now 57-year-old was having a hard time in South Carolina on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, sources said.

Blount was arrested in 2000 in the case after he and his brother stormed into a Bojangle restaurant, kidnapped two workers while armed and forced them to open a safe, NBC New York reported.

Blount and two others then attempted to escape from the Richland County Jail in Columbia, SC, that same year – leaving warden Alvin Glenn, 59, strangled and the trio jumping aimlessly from the prison roof. useful.

Blount, who was 36 at the time, broke both ankles while trying to escape, according to NBC.

He was recaptured and eventually pleaded guilty to kidnapping and robbery, as well as to conspiracy to escape from prison for attempting to escape, and was sentenced to 20 and 15 years behind bars, respectively.

Court records show that Blount was not charged with Glenn’s death.

Law enforcement sources said Blount served 18 years of his sentence.

He was released in November 2018 to serve the last two years of his sentence on supervised release, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Police in South Carolina did not return messages about Blount’s criminal record.

Blount is currently facing attempted murder, robbery and assault charges for the brutal attack in Queens on Thursday night that left Nina Rothschild, a 57-year-old scientist with the New York City Department of Health, serious injuries.

Rothschild is returning home from her workplace when she was attacked around 11:20pm at Queens Plaza E, M and R terminals.

Blount, whose last known address was in Astoria, Queens, had had half a dozen previous arrests in New York – including for robbery and possession of a controlled substance, sources said. .

Records show he served a sentence in the late 1980s for the crime of selling a controlled substance.

Footage from Thursday night’s attack shows Rothschild’s attacker climbing up behind her on the stairs and kicking her in an attempt to make her fall. He then hit the scientist several times in the head, broke her skull, and fled with her pocket notebook, police said.

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