Suffolk Man Found Guilty Of Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend With Machete: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A 50-year-old Islandia man was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his children, with a machete after he illegally entered her home, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Wednesday.

The man, who was not named by the DA in order to protect the woman's identity, was found guilty after a bench trial of burglary, assault, and other related charges.

"No one should ever feel unsafe in their own home," Tierney said in a news release. "This courageous woman demonstrated incredible bravery during the incident, doing everything she could to protect herself and her children. We hope this conviction provides her with some measure of comfort knowing the defendant will be in prison while her children can grow up in peace."

The man faces up to 25 years in prison at his sentencing.

On March 25, 2022, the woman returned home from work and noticed the gate to her backyard was open although she normally kept it closed, investigators said. She then saw the man, her ex-boyfriend and father of her children, standing outside of her house holding a crowbar and a hunting knife, officials said. The man immediately began to bang on the house window with the crowbar, but the woman called 911 and began screaming, causing the man to flee, authorities said.

A few weeks later, on the evening of April 8, 2022, an order of protection was in place that directed
the man to stay away from the woman and their children, the DA said. The woman got home after
working a 12-hour shift and took her 5- and 6-year-old children into the house, prosecutors said. She then returned outside to close a car door that was left open, officials said. When the woman went back outside, she screamed when she saw the man standing by the trunk of her car wearing a hooded sweatshirt, a scarf tied around the lower part of his face, and black gloves, the DA said.

The man pulled a machete out of a case attached to his pants and told the woman to shut up, get the kids, and give him the keys to her car, investigators said. The man then entered the house, and the woman immediately tried to get the children away from the man and out of the house, authorities said.

At that moment, the woman's upstairs neighbor came outside after hearing her screams and told his wife to call 911, the DA said.

The man chased both his ex-girlfriend and the neighbor with the machete, officials said. The woman tried to get inside her house and lock the door behind her, but she fell, and the man charged her, prosecutors said. As the two struggled to control the machete, the woman grabbed it
to prevent the man from slashing her with it, causing deep cuts to the palms of her hands, authorities said.

The neighbor told the man that the police were on their way, the DA said. The man pointed the machete at his ex-girlfriend and told her she would "regret this" before running away, investigators said.

Police used K9 Brick to track the man, finding him a few blocks away crouched behind a truck, officials said. When the man saw the police officer and K9 Brick, he jumped over a fence and continued to run, the DA said. Police pursued the man and warned him that K9 Brick would
bite the man if he didn’t stop and show his hands, prosecutors said. K9 Brick was then deployed and apprehended the man, authorities said.

The man was convicted Wednesday on charges of two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree assault, one count of aggravated criminal contempt, one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of first-degree criminal contempt, five counts of second-degree criminal contempt, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of second-degree menacing.

The man is due back in court for sentencing on April 18 and faces up to 25 years in prison. He is being represented by Lane Bubka.