By Chris Engelhardt
A 35-year-old woman was brutally stabbed to death in her Sunnyside apartment last week and police have taken her boyfriend into custody, the NYPD and neighbors said.
Officers responded to a call at 11:01 p.m. July 2 at 48-16 46th St. and found Diana Victorio with multiple stab wounds, police said. Medical personnel were called to the scene, but she was pronounced dead soon after, police said.
Police said Victorio’s boyfriend, 39-year-old Angel Rios, was taken into custody shortly after. A DCPI spokesman said Rios had one prior arrest for assault back in 2011.
Several neighbors described the event as “shocking” and “unexpected,” and said the couple often appeared happy and in good spirits.
One neighbor, who declined to give his name, said he has lived in the apartment building for 30 years and described the couple as nice, hardworking people.
“I can’t believe this,” he said outside the building. “They’re always together — no trouble. They’d never fight.”
Another neighbor said he had known Victorio for close to 15 years and was surprised when he heard the news.
“They came around. They looked nice, like everything is good,” he said. “They’d come out holding hands.”
Another neighbor, however, said several months ago he saw the couple fighting on a corner near their apartment and actually intervened to put an end to the verbal dispute.
“He was violent,” the neighbor said of Rios. “The lady said, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.’”
Neighbors said couple has two children, which police could not confirm.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office said an arraignment date for Rios is pending as he remains hospitalized.
An investigation was ongoing, police said.
Reach reporter Chris Engelhardt by e-mail at cengelhardt@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
