Razor Blade Face Slashing Leads To Prison For Pleasant Valley Man: DA

PLEASANT VALLEY, NY — A local man who slashed his then-girlfriend’s face with a razor blade, causing a permanent scar, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison.

Dutchess County Court Judge Jessica Segal imposed the sentence on Thomas Zemko, 45.

Zemko pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in April for the attack, which happened on Jan. 23, 2024, on Sherow Road in Pleasant Valley.

According to the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office, Zemko intended to “disfigure his girlfriend seriously and permanently.”

Prosecutors said he took a razor blade and cut her, causing a 10-12 centimeter laceration which went from the top of her left eye and down her cheek. Zemko then refused to allow the woman to get medical attention, according to the government.

The woman was able to seek treatment days later, when she finally got stitches to close the injury, prosecutors said.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, “This was a deliberate and vicious act of domestic violence — not a moment of rage, but a calculated decision to cause lasting harm.”

“Slashing someone’s face with a razor blade is an act of pure brutality, and the defendant will now spend the next 10 years exactly where he belongs: behind bars,” Parisi added.