Long Island Man Gouged Out His Grandmother's Eyes: DA

A Long Island man gouged out his 78-year-old grandmother’s eyes with his fingers during a dispute, rendering her blind, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said Wednesday.

According to Sini, around 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 19, while at their shared residence in Sayville, 30-year-old Micheal Grief became engaged in an argument with his grandmother over his use of her debit card, which he had allegedly used to overdraw her account by $1,000. His grandmother became fearful and exited the house to seek assistance from a neighbor.

Grief followed the his grandmother outside, accosted her outside of the neighbor’s house and gouged her eyes with his fingers, Sini said. The force of the assault caused the globes of her eyes to rupture. Neighbors became aware of the assault and called police.

The grandmother was transported by Community Ambulance Company to Stony Brook University Hospital where she underwent surgery for about eight hours in an attempt to save her vision. She has been given a less than 1 percent chance to regain any vision, according to the hospital.

“This is an extremely disturbing case,” District Attorney Sini said. “We will take all appropriate action to make sure that not only his family is safe, but that the public is safe from this dangerous individual.”

Grief is charged with first degree assault and two counts of second degree assault. If convicted of the top count, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

Grief was arraigned on an indictment Wednesday by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen. Bail was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond. Grief is due back in court on March 15.