Man Sentenced To 20 Years To Life For Murdering Woman Near Child: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A man was sentenced to 20 years to life Wednesday for murdering his girlfriend in August, 2020 in front of her 9-year-old daughter, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

According to court filings and statements he made, on August 10, 2020, Bayron Fajardo-Gonzalez, 34, attacked Tania Fox, 45, after she had arrived back to the couple’s Riverside residence with her daughter, Tierney said.

Fox and Fajardo-Gonzalez, who was not the child’s father, had been arguing earlier in the evening and once home, Fox and her daughter locked themselves in the child’s bedroom to avoid him, Tierney said.

After he was unable to gain entry to the child’s bedroom, Fajardo-Gonzalez went outside and broke a window to the room; Fox and her daughter ran out of the room and up the stairs to a small attic to hide, Tierney said.

Fox quietly called her cousin and told her, "If anything happens to me, Bayron is guilty. Please take care of [my daughter],” Tierney said.

Fajardo-Gonzalez followed after them, initially barging into a tenant's room, demanding to know where Fox was, Tierney said. Fajardo-Gonzalez then entered the attic area and stabbed Fox multiple times in the chest while her daughter was standing next to her, Tierney said.

The child escaped the attic and called 911, as did the tenant; while the child was on the phone calling 911, Fox could be heard screaming in the background, Tierney said.

Southampton Town Police arrived and saw Fajardo-Gonzalez walking down the stairs from the attic covered in Fox's blood; he admitted he stabbed Fox, Tierney said.

He pleaded guilty in March to the murder in 2020 and was sentenced before Suffolk County Court Judge Anthony Senft, Tierney said.

“This defendant brutally terrorized and murdered the innocent victim in front of her terrified daughter,” said Tierney. “Today’s outcome cannot change that. However, it does ensure that the defendant will serve a significant sentence and will be called to account for his cowardly actions.”