By Rebecca Henely
A 67-year-old Corona man who tried to cut his 45-year-old wife’s throat with a hunting knife while she slept was found guilty of attempted murder and other charges by a jury last week, the Queens district attorney’s office said.
The wife of Pedro Parrales, who lives on Corona and 51st avenues in Corona, had told Parrales she had been planning to move out of the apartment with their 15-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter before Parrales brutally attacked her, Queens DA Richard Brown said. Parrales’ wife was sleeping May 3, 2010, at about 3 a.m. when she woke up to find her husband on top of her and trying to slash her throat, the DA said.
Parrales’ wife fended off the attack, screaming and trying to take hold of the knife, the DA said, but Parrales managed to cut her deeply in the face, head, chest and hands.
The couple’s children came to the victim’s aid, Brown said. Their daughter began screaming for Parrales to stop attacking her mother and their son jumped on top of Parrales, the DA said. Parrales initially stopped but tried to cut his wife’s throat again before their son eventually wrenched the knife out of Parrales’ hand, the DA said.
Parrales tried to hang himself twice after the attack, the Brown said. His son cut him down when he tried to do it the first time and the police cut him down the second time, the DA said.
It took a week-and-a-half trial before the jury found Parrales guilty of attempted murder, two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child April 12, the DA said. Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C. Holder scheduled Parrales’ sentencing for April 26. Parrales could be behind bars for up to 25 years, the DA said.
“The defendant’s middle-of-the-night attack was brutal and without warning as he tried to kill the victim, despite the screams of their 9-year-old daughter and even as their 15-year-old son attempted to protect his mother,” Brown said in a statement. “The defendant deserves the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced.”
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
