NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A Queens man was arraigned on Wednesday on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend on Saturday at her place of work, an Irish pub in Maspeth, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said.
According to the charges, Marcin Pieciak, 36, entered the Ceili House Bar at 69-56 Grand Avenue in Maspeth at 6:30 p.m. and approached his girlfriend, 41-year-old Sarah McNally, who was working as a bartender.
Pieciak is accused of stabbing McNally multiple times before turning the knife on himself and cutting his own throat several times. A patron then made attempts to detain the defendant until police arrived.
Police recovered two knives from the ground that they watched the defendant drop as he left the bar, prosecutors said.
McNally was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst where she was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries, officials said.
The defendant was taken to the same hospital in critical condition, but survived.
“This as an attack that shocked the community,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “It was unprovoked and a devastating loss for the family. We are using every resource to make sure there is accountability.”
Police listed the same address, on 76th Street in Glendale, for both the victim and defendant.
Pieciak is charged with second-degree murder and two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
The defendant is expected back in court on April 5.