A Flushing man was criminally charged in the fatal stabbing of his wife in front of horrified customers at a Kissena Boulevard spa during the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Jiahai Ma, 25, of Cherry Avenue, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday evening on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly killing 26-year-old Jui Mei Tang during a fit of rage in the basement of the Bodywork Spa at 41-39 Kissena Blvd.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Maria Gonzalez remanded Ma into custody without bail.
According to the criminal complaint, between 5:40 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., Ma stormed into the cellar spa and stabbed his wife multiple times in her neck and torso, thereby causing her death. Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing responded to a frantic 911 call that a woman was under attack, and they arrived to find Tang clinging to life with her husband standing nearby, still holding a bloody knife, which was recovered by police.
EMS rushed Tang to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short while later. Ma was taken into custody.
Judge Gonzalez ordered Ma to return to court on Sept. 9. Council Member Sandra Ung said the murder of Tang at her place of work in an apparent domestic violence incident left her “deeply shocked and heartbroken.” She offered her thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family, friends and co-workers during “an incredibly difficult” time.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of domestic violence, an issue that is often shrouded in silence within our Asian community,” Ung said in a lengthy statement hours before Ma was arraigned. “As an attorney, I worked with domestic violence survivors in the Asian community. I know that too many victims suffer in silence, unable to speak out due to cultural stigmas and fear of shame, or they are unaware of where to find help or worry that their language barriers will prevent them from getting the support they need.”
The young couple were reportedly immigrants from Guizhou, China.
“I urge anyone facing domestic violence to reach out and seek help,” Ung continued. “No one should have to stay in a situation where they are being harmed because they do not know where to turn.” She closed with a message to her constituents.
“Our community must come together to prevent such tragedies from occurring again,” Ung said. “We must support those in need, speak out against violence and ensure that every person knows they have a place to go for help.”
