Ruben Guanipa Ramirez charged with attempting to kill acquaintance at Gilgo Beach

A man accused of trying to slit his acquaintance's throat at Gilgo Beach has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge.

Ruben Guanipa Ramirez, 26, whose last known address was in Merrick, was indicted by a grand jury on assault and attempted murder charges on Tuesday in connection with the Feb. 28 attack.

Prosecutors said Ramirez drove the victim to Gilgo Beach after they played pool together and then came up behind him and covered his mouth with a cloth while stabbing him and trying to slit his throat.

Police later found rope, duct tape and several knives, among other items, in Ramirez’s car, prosecutors said.

"This defendant allegedly drove a man that he knew to a remote beach and attacked him from behind with a knife," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "The evidence recovered from his vehicle raises serious questions about what he intended that night."

Prosecutors said Ramirez picked up the victim from his home in Queens the night of Feb. 28 and drove to Sport Billiards pool hall in Baldwin. They then drove to Jones Beach, where they stopped briefly before going to Gilgo Beach, according to prosecutors.

Ramirez attacked the man while they walked back to his car from the beach, prosecutors said, and tried to slit his throat before the man was able to fight him off.

They both got back into Ramirez’s car before Ramirez "exited the car and the victim drove off," according to a news release from the Suffolk district attorney. The victim called 911 before driving to a friend’s house in Queens, the district attorney's office said. NYPD officers interviewed him and then he went by ambulance to the hospital to be treated for his wounds, prosecutors said.

Police found Ramirez walking along the Long Island Expressway in Nassau County, prosecutors said. They found three kitchen knives in Ramirez’s vehicle, including one covered in blood, in addition to blankets, plastic drop cloths, a large-wheeled bag, gloves and a box cutter, according to prosecutors.

Ramirez, who pleaded not guilty to the assault charge, was ordered held on $200,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond. He faces between 5 and 25 years in prison if convicted. His attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County could not be reached for comment.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.