In a chilling case of domestic violence, a 50-year-old Islandia man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after assaulting his ex-girlfriend with a machete. The brutal attack occurred after the man illegally entered her home, despite an existing order of protection.
The District Attorney’s Office said that it did not name the defendant in order to protect the identity of the victim.
On the evening of April 8, 2022, the victim returned home from a twelve-hour shift and brought her five- and six-year-old children inside. As she went back outside to close a car door, she was confronted by the defendant standing by her car, his face partially covered by a scarf. Armed with a machete, he demanded she shut up, get the kids, and give him the keys to her car.
Terrified, the victim tried to get her children to safety. Her screams alerted an upstairs neighbor, who instructed his wife to call 911. The defendant then chased both the victim and the neighbor with the machete. In a desperate struggle, the victim sustained deep lacerations to her hands while trying to prevent the defendant from slashing her.
The neighbor’s warning that police were on their way prompted the defendant to threaten the victim, saying she would “regret this,” before fleeing the scene. Police, aided by K9 Officer Brick, tracked and apprehended the defendant a few blocks away after a brief chase.
This was not the first violent encounter between the defendant and his ex-girlfriend. Just weeks earlier, on March 25, 2022, the victim had found the defendant outside her home with a crowbar and hunting knife. He had banged on her window with the crowbar, but fled when she called 911 and screamed for help.
Following his arrest, the defendant was charged and convicted after a bench trial on March 6, 2024. Acting County Court Judge Richard T. Dunne found him guilty of multiple charges, including two counts of Burglary in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, and several counts of Criminal Contempt and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
On June 5, 2024, Judge Dunne sentenced the defendant to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
“This sentence serves as a reminder that such despicable acts of domestic violence will be met with the full force of the law. You will be held to account for your actions,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “My office stands firm in protecting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable for their heinous actions.”
