Man sentenced for plowing into estranged wife with SUV, stabbing her in front of their kids

NEW YORK (TCD) — A 37-year-old man will spend 25 years in prison for intentionally hitting his 41-year-old estranged wife with an SUV and stabbing her in front of their three young sons in December 2022.

Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Stephen Giraldo was sentenced Friday, Oct. 6, for the attempted murder of Sophia Giraldo, who remains unconscious from the attack. He pleaded guilty last month.

On Dec. 27, 2022, at around 5:20 a.m., Stephen Giraldo was outside Sophia Giraldo’s residence in a white Ford Explorer SUV with their three children, ages 6, 9, and 11. Sophia Giraldo walked in front of the vehicle when Stephen said to the children, “Keep your seat belt on,” then intentionally drove into his wife.

As a result, the vehicle turned over onto its side. Stephen reportedly “climbed over his child seated in the front passenger seat and through a window and stabbed his wife in the chest.”

The incident was captured on security video.

Giraldo punctured his wife’s liver as a result, and she suffered severe neurological damage and broken bones in her leg. She remains under medical care.

The three children were not injured, WNBC-TV reports. 

In a statement, Katz called it one of the “most brutal cases we have prosecuted.”

Katz continued, “To tell your children to ‘buckle up,’ purposefully hit their mother, and then climb over your son to continue your attack with a knife is unconscionable.”

Some of the victim’s friends and family, including her father, were present in court, WCBS-TV reports.

Giraldo reportedly addressed his estranged wife and her family in court, stating, “Please forgive me for this unspeakable, unfathomable, unimaginable hurt I’ve inflicted upon you.”

The Giraldos allegedly have a history of domestic violence. Following his prison sentence, he will undergo five years of post-release supervision, and he is not allowed to contact the victim or their children.

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