LI Woman Gets 7 Years For Attempted Murder With Minivan: DA

CORAM, NY — A Long Island woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison after intentionally running over an elderly woman with her minivan, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.

Philomena Mistretta, 51, of Coram, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday, followed by five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted murder and other related charges, for intentionally striking a 63-year-old woman with a minivan, following a verbal and physical altercation with the victim at a public parking lot in Bellport, the DA said.

"What began as a disagreement should never have escalated to this level of violence," Tierney said. "The defendant made a conscious choice to harm another person, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity of that decision."

According to the investigation, on Oct.26, 2024, shortly after 3:30 a.m., Mistretta was sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2004 white Toyota Sienna when she was involved in a verbal dispute with the victim who was standing next to the passenger side of the vehicle.

The argument, which took place in the parking lot of Miracle Plaza off Montauk Highway in Bellport, escalated after Mistretta got out of her vehicle and got into a physical altercation with the victim, the DA said.

Mistretta then got back into the minivan, backed up, angled her car towards the victim, and then drove over her, dragging the victim for a short distance, the DA said.

The victim was transported to Long Island Community Hospital with lacerations to her skull and police arrested Mistretta at the scene, the DA said.

On June 28, Mistretta pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz to one count of second-degree attempted murder, a Class B violent felony, one count of first-degree attempted assault, a Class C violent felony, and one count of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony, the DA said.

On Tuesday, Mistretta was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, the DA said.

She was represented by Chase Brown, who was not immediately available for comment.