Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Stephen Giraldo was indicted by a Queens grand jury on attempted murder, assault and other charges for allegedly hitting his wife with his SUV and then stabbing her with a knife. The couple’s three children were in the vehicle at the time of the incident, which occurred in front of the victim’s Flushing residence.

District Attorney Katz said: “This is a heart-breaking crime. This savage attack, committed in full view of the victim’s three young children, stirred outrage across the city.  Our thoughts are with the victim and her children.  We will hold accountable the person responsible for this brutality.”

Giraldo, 36, of 144^th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was indicted yesterday on a 12-count indictment charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first and second degrees, reckless endangerment in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Giraldo is pending arraignment in Queens County Supreme Court. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

According to the charges, the defendant was observed on security video footage getting into a white Ford Explorer on December 27 at approximately 5:20 a.m. The defendant’s three children, ages 11, nine and six, were inside the vehicle. When the defendant’s wife, Sophia Giraldo, 41, walked in front of the vehicle, the defendant told the children to “keep your seat belt on” and drove the SUV directly into his wife. After colliding with the victim, the car turned onto its side. The defendant crawled out of a window of the vehicle and stabbed his wife with a knife.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries, including severe neurological damage, broken bones in her leg and a stab wound that punctured her liver.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Robert Dibona of the New York Police Department’s 109^th Precinct.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Camillo of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Mary Kate Quinn, Bureau Chief, Assistant District Attorney Audra Beerman, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Special Prosecutions Division Joyce Smith.