NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 55-year-old Bronx man was sentenced to 19 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to attempted murder for nearly killing his estranged girlfriend in front of a Queens store in 2020, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
On May 16, 2020, James Fitzgerald attacked the woman in front of a Jamaica fish market, kicking and punching her then using a wooden beam embedded with nails to continue beating her.
"This defendant brutally attacked his former girlfriend nearly to death. It is a miracle that the victim survived, though she still faces years of physical and mental recovery due to severe sustained injuries," Katz said. "Following the defendant’s guilty plea last month, he has now been sentenced to prison for his heinous actions. I can only hope that the victim finds some solace in knowing that the defendant has been held accountable."
The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital. She suffered permanent loss of vision in her right eye and her face was permanently disfigured due to a crushed orbital bone and several severe facial fractures.
Katz said police arrived on the scene just as Fitzgerald was walking away from the victim. When officers ordered him to stop, he ran but was apprehended following a short foot pursuit.
Police recovered the bloody wooden plank with several nails protruding from it from the scene of the attack as well as the victim's broken teeth that were scattered on the sidewalk.
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