'I killed my wife, arrest me’: Man who mowed down and then stabbed wife as kids looked on called 911
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers. Discretion advised.
QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY: A Queens man, who is accused of mowing down and stabbing his estranged wife, called 911 and admitted, "I think I killed my wife." Stephen Giraldo, 36, allegedly told police "I hit my wife — arrest me" when they arrived on Parsons Boulevard early on Tuesday, December 27, according to prosecutors testifying in court.
In his first court hearing before Judge Scott Dunn in Queens Criminal Court, Giraldo on December 28, an 11-year MTA employee, wore a white Tyvek jumpsuit and a face mask. The judge was informed that the couple's three children were in the car at the time of the incident, with the oldest, Stephen, 11, in the front seat by Assistant District Attorney Audra Beerman. The accused kept his bald head down during the statement.
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'She flew over the fence'
"Everyone keep your seatbelts on," Giraldo allegedly instructed the children just before hitting his wife, according to Assistant District Attorney Beerman, as reported by New York Post. Bus driver Giraldo, a Queens resident, had parked across the street from her Flushing house and had asked his estranged wife Sophia Giraldo, 41, to come down. She reportedly flew over the fence as Giraldo accelerated and stuck her powerfully with the car as she approached him, Beerman said.
'Waited for the police to arrive at the site'
According to Beerman, the insane father then leaped over his son, wriggled out the passenger window, and walked over to Sophia as she lay still in order to stab her twice beneath the right breast. The cops later discovered the knife that he had abandoned on the house's side. He apparently confessed to the vicious attack while waiting for the police to arrive at the scene.
'In critical condition'
Sophia, a life coach and victim of domestic violence, is still in critical condition, according to the prosecution. She was stabbed in the liver and sustained significant neurological damage in addition to fractured bones in her leg. If she survives, Beerman warned that she might be seriously neurologically disabled. The three children — aged 11, 9, and 6 — are being cared for by friends and family. They sustained no injuries in the accident.
'He is being kept on suicide watch'
Authorities have accused Giraldo of reckless endangerment, attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, and endangering the welfare of a child. He could spend up to 25 years in prison if found guilty. Giraldo's legal representative Mary Beth Anderson asked for his release on bond.
However, Dunn declined, sending Giraldo back to detention where he is being kept on suicide watch. His next court date is set for January 12.
'Toxic marriage'
Sophia, a life coach who assists domestic abuse victims, has described herself as a victim of betrayal, trauma, and abuse. According to court documents, she had filed for divorce in August. She discussed her "toxic marriage" on her podcast 'Unfiltered and Free' just before the attack. "I’ve just been thinking about my expectation and how as a result of trauma, I tend to expect the negative,” Sophia, who is now at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, stated in the very recent episode. "I tend to expect the worst thing to happen, the worst-case scenario. You know, all those things. And I want my new year to look different," she said at the time.
'They were working through some issues'
Giraldo was characterized as a decent man who was going through a difficult divorce by a group of MTA employees who arrived at the site on Tuesday. Jonathan Giraldo, Stephen's brother, reiterated this when he told New York Post that his brother was a wonderful man and that the podcast was inaccurate. "They were working through some issues,” Jonathan stated, adding, "He was trying to work things out with her. My brother is nothing like that. He’s a gentle, sweet guy."