Police have charged the man who senselessly murdered a Staten Island grandmother just blocks from her home Monday afternoon — and then held her in his arms as he waited for cops to arrive, officials said.

Dantey Moore, 27, savagely attacked 63-year-old Geetha Howie, stabbing her numerous times in the face and chest near the corner of Bement Avenue and Bement Court in Randall Manor around 2:15 p.m., cops say.

The killer also allegedly turned the knife on a good Samaritan who rushed to help the dying woman upon hearing her screams.

“At first I thought it was kids messing around and when I came out to look, I saw two people on the ground on the corner,” neighbor Mark Long told CBS 2. “As I got closer, I realized it was a man stabbing a woman.”

Long suffered a gash on his arm during a brief struggle with Moore, police said

“I yelled at him to stop and I shouted out to one of the neighbors, ‘Call 911,’” said Long. “And we just faced each other and I just tried to talk to him, keep his attention off the woman until police got there.”

In a bizarre twist, Moore then dropped the knife, crouched down and cradled the critically injured woman in his arms until police arrived and took him into custody, noting that he appeared to not be able to recall his actions.

Howie later died at Richmond University Medical Center, officials said.

Police believe Moore and Howie lived just blocks from one another but do not believe they knew each other.

“It appears to be a random attack,” said a police source.

Moore, who has 34 prior arrests, has been charged with murder, assault and possession of a weapon, police said.