Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce was indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for the unprovoked stabbing of a woman on her way to an East Elmhurst bus stop in March. Ponce allegedly followed the 29-year-old victim, grabbed her from behind and, without saying anything, stabbed her repeatedly. The defendant then fled to Kennedy Airport as he tried to leave the country.

District Attorney Katz said: “New Yorkers deserve to go about their commutes without fear of attack. As alleged, this defendant shattered that sense of safety when he approached a woman from behind on her way to a bus stop and repeatedly stabbed her. Fortunately, the victim – a mother of three — survived her serious injuries. A grand jury has now indicted the defendant who faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.”

Ponce, 19, of East Elmhurst, was arraigned today on a five-count indictment charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first and second degrees, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Bruna DiBiase continued remand and ordered the defendant to return to court on July 29. 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 6:15 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, with knife in hand, allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times, paused, and then repeatedly stabbed her again.

The attack was unprovoked and 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 that required 11 stitches.

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

Later that morning, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Ponce attempted to go through a checkpoint at Kennedy Airport without having an airline ticket. He was stopped by Port Authority Police and taken to the hospital for medical evaluation. Ponce surrendered at the 115^th Precinct on March 19.

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 Trial 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.