Man, Stephen Giraldo, Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison for Attempted Murder of Estranged Wife

 

A man from New York has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after admitting to trying to kill his wife by running her over with his SUV while their kids were in the car. 


Stephen Giraldo, 37, got a 25-year prison term for the attempted murder of his estranged wife Sophia Giraldo in December 2022. This brutal incident happened when he rammed his estranged wife with his Ford Explorer, then stabbed her. 

Shockingly, he told their three children, who were in the car with him, to "stay buckled up" before speeding into his wife.

In the words of Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz, "This is one of the most horrific cases we've ever prosecuted. Instructing your children to 'buckle up,' intentionally striking their mother, and then climbing over your son to continue the attack with a knife is beyond comprehension. By holding the defendant accountable and securing a lengthy prison sentence, we hope to bring some semblance of justice to the victim and her loved ones."


On December 27, at around 5:20 a.m., Stephen Giraldo parked his white Ford Explorer outside his estranged wife's home in Flushing, Queens, to drop off their three children, aged 6, 9, and 11. Surveillance footage revealed that Stephen stepped out of the SUV to move an obstruction, a trash bag, and then returned to the vehicle. 

At that moment, Sophia Giraldo emerged from her house and walked in front of the SUV. 

"Stay strapped in," Stephen Giraldo reportedly told the kids before intentionally crashing into his wife, causing the vehicle to overturn. He then crawled over his son in the front seat and through the window to stab her with a knife. 


Sophia sustained severe neurological injuries, a broken leg, and a punctured liver. According to Katz's press release, she has been unconscious since the attack.

Stephen Giraldo had previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder in September. 

Sophia Giraldo, who initiated divorce proceedings last year, was the host of "The Unfiltered and Free Podcast," described as featuring "honest discussions about life after betrayal and abuse." In the first episode, she described her marriage as abusive.

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