By Jeremy Walsh
The boyfriend of the late Long Island City artist Susan Woolf allegedly used two different knives to murder her and then fled to Florida where he was arrested last week, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Tambiev Tigran, 43, lived with Woolf, 49, in the apartment at 43-35 10th St., Brown said. He was charged with second-degree murder, aggravated criminal contempt and weapon possession, the DA said. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
“This brutal and senseless stabbing resulted in the death of a talented sculptor,” Brown said in a statement. “This case will be vigorously prosecuted to ensure that justice is served for the victim and her family.”
A limited order of protection had been issued against Tigran last September prohibiting him from assaulting or harassing Woolf, Brown said. But on Dec. 11, Tambiev allegedly attacked her, using two knives to stab her 18 times in the back and chest and knocking her two front teeth out, Brown said. She was found the next day with packing tape around her neck by a friend who was concerned about her, authorities said.
Police sought Tigran for questioning after the murder but were unable to immediately locate him. He turned up at an apartment in Miami, the DA said. He was arraigned Friday and remanded without bail after being extradited from Florida, authorities said. His next court date is Feb. 2.
Woolf was an active member of the nonprofit group LIC Artists who had lived in the neighborhood for several years. She had recently been named one of the group’s board members.
On her Web site, Woolf described herself as a “public artist” whose works range from bronze castings to filling cracks in a sidewalk with brightly colored leaves.
“I observe how a place joins or collides with environmental, visual and social patterns,” she wrote. “I make sculptures describing place to accentuate the beauty in every location and build bridges between people and their surroundings.”
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jewalsh@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
