A Laurelton man has been charged with attempted murder and other charges for allegedly stabbing a motorist on Sunday, May 23, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.
Anthony Thomas, 58, was arraigned on Tuesday, May 25, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Denise Johnson on a complaint charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to the district attorney.
According to the charges, the victim, a 49-year-old man, drove onto Mentone Avenue and attempted to park his car after 5 p.m. Thomas, who lives on Mentone Avenue, allegedly spotted the 49-year-old man moving the orange cones that blocked the street in front of his home in order to park his car, according to Katz.
After the 49-year-old man parked the car in front of Thomas’ house, Thomas allegedly came out to curse at him and then returned inside his home. The 49-year-old then joined his friends across the street for an outdoor event, but Thomas subsequently exited his home multiple times to scream the 49-year-old until eventually he moved his car to a different parking spot, according to authorities.
Following the car’s relocation, Thomas again exited his home, crossed the street and continued to berate the 49-year-old man. Then, things escalated when Thomas allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife from his sock and began to chase the 49-year-old, according to Katz.
Thomas allegedly stabbed the 49-year-old man multiple times in the chest, abdomen and arm. The 49-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital with a collapsed lung, massive intestinal injuries and other serious wounds as a result of the attack, according to Katz.
Police officers who responded to the scene allegedly found the weapon stained with blood in Thomas’ home dishwasher, according to authorities.
Judge Johnson set Thomas’ next court date as May 28. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Katz called the attack a “vicious and senseless attack on a man who was just visiting friends in the neighborhood.”
“No one has a right to the parking spot in front of their home. The city’s streets are public and accessible to everyone,” Katz said. “The defendant – who had no right to block off any part of a public street with traffic cones — became enraged when the victim parked in front of the defendant’s residence and allegedly attacked without provocation. In custody, he now faces serious charges.”
