Update: Double Stabbing at Carmans Plaza

A Copiague man lured then stabbed his ex-girlfriend at Carmans Plaza in Massapequa Tuesday morning, Nassau County Police said.

The violent confrontation took place at about 10:10 a.m. when the girlfriend, a 25-year-old Westbury woman, whose name was withheld by police, agreed to meet with Ruben Estrada, 46, in the parking lot of the shopping center.

But when she got in the car, Estrada allegedly began punching her and stabbing her. The victim suffered 13 knife wounds, police said.

Several people ran to her aid, including Romann Martin, 26, a former Navy reservist from Farmingdale.

Martin said that the woman appeared to have been stabbed on the right side and the left breast.

"She was actually standing up and we put her on the ground," he said.

"Her breathing was good, her airway was clear," Martin said, adding he was trying to take care of the female victim and "wasn't paying any attention" to Estrada.

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Another man who came to the scene, a Massapequa resident who would only identify himself as, Eric, said he saw Estrada try to stab himself. 

"At one point, you could see the knife sticking out of his chest," he said. Eric said he ran to the Honda after hearing somebody say, "A man is attacking his daughter."

Police said Estrada stabbed himself in the chest four times.

"I broke the rear passenger window of the car," Eric said, saying it was an effort to startle the man to get him to "stop stabbing the woman."

They were able to get her to safety and police quickly arrived at the scene, he said.

The girlfriend was airlifted to Nassau University Medical Center, where she was listed in critical but stable condition, while Estrada was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he was also critical but stable.

He was charged with attempted 2nd degree murder, first degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession. He will be arraigned at the hospital at a later date.

Unqua Elementary School and Berner Middle School briefly initiated lock-out procedures because of the incident, school officials said.