A Bushwick man on Friday was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for slashing a stranger with a knife and attacking a bystander who tried to intervene, the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a press release.
The defendant, Michael Ruiz, 46, was convicted of second-degree assault and third-degree attempted assault following a jury trial on August 19. He was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson, who also imposed three years of post-release supervision. The District Attorney’s Office had recommended a five-year sentence, the press releae said.
“Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my highest priority, and violent offenders such as this defendant will face serious consequences. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for a random and vicious assault," DA Gonzalez said.
Evidence used in the trial revealed that the incident occurred on June 28, 2022, at approximately 2:15am on Berry Street in Greenpoint. The victim, a 39-year-old man, was outside his apartment talking on the phone when Ruiz, a stranger, approached him and told him: “I own this block,” before threatening to kill him. Ruiz briefly left to get a knife from his car.
When a bystander tried to intervene, Ruiz punched the man in the face. He then turned back to the victim, kicking him to the ground and repeatedly kicking his face before slashing him across the arm with the knife.
The victim suffered a fractured orbital bone, a laceration under his eye, and a slash wound on his arm that required approximately 15 stitches. The attack was captured on surveillance footage, which led to Ruiz’s arrest on October 6.
