LI Man Found Guilty Of Trying To Kill Wife In Front Of Daughters: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A West Babylon man, 46, was found guilty of attempted murder after he tried to kill his wife in front of their two daughters, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Tuesday.

The man tried to kill his wife after she told him she wanted a divorce, Tierney said. He is due back in court for sentencing on March 11 and faces up to 25 years in prison.

The DA's Office did not name the man to protect the identities of his wife and daughters.

"Leaving a relationship can be the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence," Tierney said in a news release. "I want victims of intimate partner violence to know that help is available to them. Not only is my office staffed with incredible crime victim advocates who will support victims through each step of a criminal prosecution, but there are agencies within Suffolk County such as Long Island Against Domestic Violence and ECLI VIBES who are available 24/7 to assist with free safety planning, safe housing, food distribution, and counseling services."

The morning of June 14, 2023, the woman was sleeping in the bedroom of their 5 and 11-year-old daughters after telling her husband that she wanted to end the marriage, investigators said. The man began knocking on the door, telling the woman that he wanted to speak with her in their bedroom, but the woman refused, prosecutors said.

The man pushed his way inside the children’s bedroom while holding a knife, authorities said. The man then stabbed the woman three times with a large kitchen knife while yelling that he was going to kill her and then kill himself because she was ruining his family, officials said.

Their oldest daughter pleaded with her father to stop, and he told the children to go to another room, the DA said. The man also took his wife's phone so she couldn’t call 911, prosecutors said.

Although the woman was in and out of consciousness because of blood loss, she managed to leave the house to seek help from her neighbor, investigators said. When the man realized the woman left the home, he chased after her and began kicking her in the face, authorities said. Their neighbor called 911 after hearing the commotion, and the man fled, officials said.

Suffolk County Police Department’s K9 Unit found the man behind a commercial building a short distance away from the home, prosecutors said. The woman was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where she underwent blood transfusions and surgery to repair the injuries she suffered to her arm, hip, and buttocks, the DA said.

The man was convicted Monday of these charges: one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

He is being represented by Scott Zerner.

"If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please contact the Suffolk County
Police Department," the DA's Office wrote. "Additionally, to contact the 24-hour hotline for Long Island Against Domestic Violence, please call 631-666-8833. To contact the 24-hour Crisis Hopeline for ECLI VIBES, please call 631-360-3606."