Press Release

QUEENS RESIDENT INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR STABBING MAN WITH KITCHEN KNIFE OVER PARKING SPOT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Anthony Thomas, 58, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on attempted murder and assault charges. The defendant allegedly stabbed a motorist who moved orange cones that were used to reserve a public space in front of the defendant’s home on May 23, 2021 in Jamaica, Queens.

District Attorney Katz said, “No one owns a public parking spot  even if it is in front of their home. The defendant in this case allegedly became irate when a driver moved the orange cones he’d placed on the public street and attempted to park in the spot. This was a needless attack on a man who was simply coming to the neighborhood to visit a friend. The defendant is charged with very serious crimes for his alleged actions.”

Thomas, of Mentone Avenue in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, was arraigned yesterday afternoon before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino on an indictment charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Justice Cimino set the defendant’s return date for June 28, 2021. Thomas faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

District Attorney Katz said, according to the charges, at approximately 5 p.m. on May 23rd, the victim drove onto Mentone Avenue and attempted to proceeded to park his vehicle on the block. Thomas saw the 49-year-old man move the traffic cones that blocked off a portion of the street in front of his home. The victim was parking his vehicle when Thomas exited his home and began to curse at the driver. When the motorist failed to leave the parking spot, the defendant went back into his home.

Continuing, said the DA, the victim then joined his friends across the street for an outdoor gathering. Thomas exited his home several times to scream at the man until the victim relented and moved his car. But, still angry, the defendant walked over to the victim, pulled a kitchen knife from a sock he was holding and allegedly repeatedly stabbed the man in the chest, abdomen and arm.

According to the charges, the victim was rushed to an area hospital with a collapsed lung, massive internal injuries and other serious wounds. Responding police officers recovered the knife still stained with blood allegedly in the defendant’s dishwasher.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Brendan Parpan of the New York City Police Department’s 105th Precinct Detective Squad.

Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Wanderon of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Shawn Clark, Bureau Chief, Michael Whitney, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Major Crimes Daniel Saunders.

**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.