Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce was arraigned on charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon possession for the unprovoked stabbing of a 30-year-old woman on her way to the bus in East Elmhurst Monday morning. Ponce allegedly followed the victim and stabbed her repeatedly with a knife just as the victim was about to cross the street at the intersection of 23^rd Avenue and 94^th Street. The defendant then fled without saying a word or taking any of the victim’s belongings.

District Attorney Katz said: “The random and senseless nature of this attack is deeply unsettling to every New Yorker. As alleged, this defendant followed a 30-year-old woman before stabbing her multiple times without any prior interaction. This was a calculated act of violence, and my prosecutors will aggressively seek justice for the victim of this unprovoked stabbing.”

Ponce, 18, of East Elmhurst, was arraigned last night on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Criminal Court Judge Maria T. Gonzalez remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on March 24. If convicted, Ponce faces up to 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on March 16, at approximately 6:17 a.m., the victim was crossing the street at the intersection of 23^rd Avenue and 94^th Street to get to a bus stop when she was approached from behind by the defendant.

Ponce allegedly had a knife in his hand and stabbed the victim repeatedly, paused, and stabbed her repeatedly again.

The attack was completely unprovoked. Ponce did not say a word before, during or after the stabbing and immediately left the scene.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with a punctured lung and four stab wounds requiring 11 stitches.

Detectives recovered a bloody knife from the ground approximately 15 feet away from the intersection.

Ponce surrendered at the 115^th Precinct yesterday morning.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Jasmin Gutic of the 115^th Precinct Detective Squad.

Assistant District Attorney Adalgiza Rodamis of the District Attorney’s Felony Trials Bureau II is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Isabelle Dudek, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mark Osnowitz, Bureau Chief, Charissa Ilardi and Thomas Rooney, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Supreme Court Trial Division Pishoy B. Yacoub.