The New York man, Stephen Giraldo, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of his estranged wife, Sophia Giraldo.
New York City, October 10, 2023 – A New York City man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of his estranged wife. This sentencing comes just one month after the man, Stephen Giraldo, pleaded guilty in September. The case, which unfolded in the Christmas holidays of 2022, has left a deep scar on the community.
Stephen Giraldo, 37, received the 25-year sentence as a consequence of running over his estranged wife, Sophia Giraldo, and subsequently stabbing her in the presence of their three children. The incident, which occurred on December 27, 2022, has had a profound impact, not just on the victim but on the entire family.
Sophia, who was 41 years old at the time of the attack, miraculously survived, although she remains in an unconscious state even after ten months. This horrifying incident transpired before the eyes of their three children, who were aged 11, 9, and 6 at the time.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz expressed her shock and condemnation, stating, “This is one of the most brutal cases we have prosecuted.” She emphasized the extreme nature of the crime, mentioning that Stephen instructed his children to “buckle up” before intentionally colliding with their mother. What followed was even more horrifying, as he proceeded to climb over his son in the car to continue his assault with a knife.
Katz, while acknowledging the sentence, expressed her hope that it would bring some measure of justice for the victim and her traumatized family.
The timing of this sentencing is poignant, as it falls just a day before Sophia’s birthday, as noted in a social media post by her mother, Deborah Brooks. This serves as a grim reminder of the tragedy that unfolded on that fateful December morning.
The incident took place in the early hours of December 27, with security camera footage capturing Stephen Giraldo in his car outside Sophia’s home. Prosecutors claim that as Sophia walked in front of the vehicle, Stephen callously instructed the children to “keep your seat belt on” before deliberately ramming into his wife.
The impact was so severe that the car turned onto its side. Stephen then allegedly crawled out of the passenger side window of the vehicle and proceeded to stab his wife with a knife. This brutal attack resulted in Sophia sustaining severe neurological damage, in addition to a punctured liver and multiple broken bones. Remarkably, the children were not physically harmed during this horrifying episode.
To support the victim and her family through this ordeal, a GoFundMe campaign was launched shortly after the attack. Sophia’s father, Chuck Brooks, expressed gratitude to donors and supporters, describing the journey as a “whirlwind of tragedy.” The funds raised, exceeding $50,000, have been instrumental in assisting Sophia’s family with travel expenses from Maryland to New York and covering the extensive costs associated with their visits.
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This case serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence and its far-reaching consequences, leaving behind a family shattered by a single act of violence.
