A Laurelton resident was sentenced to seven years in prison for stabbing a man during an argument over a parking space in front of his home. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Sep. 7, 2023 By Bill Parry
A Laurelton man was sentenced in Queens Supreme Court on Sept. 7 to seven years in prison for stabbing a motorist in a dispute over a parking space in 2021.
Anthony Thomas, 60, of Mentone Avenue, had previously pleaded guilty to assault in the first degree on May 10, for attacking a man who parked in front of his home after moving traffic cones he had set up to reserve the space, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
According to the charges, at around 5 p.m. on May 23, 2021, p.m., Gregory Williams, 49, drove onto Mentone Avenue 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.
Williams joined a group of his friends at a gathering across the street from Thomas’ house. Thomas emerged from his home again and screamed at Williams until a friend of Williams’ moved the car to end the dispute. Thomas nonetheless repeatedly came out of his house to yell at Williams. He eventually walked over to Williams, pulled a kitchen knife from his sock and repeatedly stabbed Williams in the chest, abdomen and arm, according to the charges.
EMS rushed Williams to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with a collapsed lung, massive intestinal injuries and other serious wounds as a result of the attack. Detectives from the 105th Precinct recovered the blood-stained knife in Thomas’ dishwasher.
“The defendant brutally attacked a man with a knife over a parking spot,” Katz said. “No one owns a public parking space, even in front of your own home. This type of escalation will not be tolerated.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino sentenced Anthony to seven years in prison to be followed by five years post-release supervision.