NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 60-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison for stabbing a man in a dispute over a parking spot in 2021, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.
Anthony Thomas of Laurelton pleaded guilty to assault in the first degree on May 10 and was sentenced to seven years in prison and five years post release supervision.
At approximately 5 p.m. on May 23, 2021, Gregory Williams, 49, drove onto Mentone Avenue in Laurelton and parked his car after moving traffic cones in front of Thomas' house.
Thomas came out of his home and yelled at Williams, saying he could not park there.
When Williams would not leave the parking space, Thomas went back into his home and Williams joined a group of his friends at a gathering across the street from Thomas' house.
Thomas then emerged from his home again and screamed at Williams until a friend of Williams' moved the car to end the dispute.
The victim parked his car in front of Thomas' home in Laurelton after moving traffic cones Thomas had set up to reserve the space. After a friend of the victim moved the car in order to end the dispute over the space.
Thomas nonetheless came out of his house to yell at Williams and walked over to him, pulled a kitchen knife from his sock and repeatedly stabbed Williams in the chest, abdomen and arm.
Williams suffered massive internal injuries, a collapsed lung and other wounds.
Officials recovered the blood-stained knife in Thomas' dishwasher.
"The defendant brutally attacked a man with a knife over a parking spot. No one owns a public parking space, even in front of your own home," District Attorney Katz said. "This type of escalation will not be tolerated."
