Woman struck by estranged husband’s SUV before he stabbed her in front of kids, officials say

A New York woman who works with abuse victims after going through her own toxic marriage was seriously injured after her estranged husband allegedly mowed her down in front of their three children, officials said.

Sophia Giraldo, 41, is hospitalized at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Queens after she was struck by an SUV Tuesday. A criminal complaint alleges that her husband, Stephen Giraldo, hit her with his vehicle and then stabbed her.

Their three young boys, ages 11, 9, and 6, were in the SUV at the time but were not injured.

The complaint says that the 11-year-old told authorities that he saw his mother walking on the sidewalk in front of the SUV. Stephen Giraldo made a comment along the lines of “keep your seatbelt on” before driving the vehicle into Sophia, the boy said, according to the complaint.

Police told NBC New York that Stephen Giraldo had allegedly waited in the vehicle outside of Sophia’s Flushing apartment building.

Security footage, obtained by the news station, captured the horrifying incident and showed Sophia leaving her building around 5:15 a.m. The SUV accelerated into her with such force that it flipped over onto its side, the video showed.

The footage that was released does not show what happened next, but the criminal complaint alleges that Stephen Giraldo crawled out of the passenger side window after the crash and stabbed Sophia. A bloodied knife was found by police near her body, the complaint says.

Sophia suffered brain damage, broken bones in her leg and a stab wound that punctured her liver. The New York City Police Department said she was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Stephen Giraldo was arraigned Wednesday on charges of attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child. It’s not clear if he has obtained an attorney.

“The brutality of the attack, and the fact that it was committed in full view of the victim’s three young children, stirs heartbreak and outrage in all of us,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a news release Wednesday. “My thoughts are with the children.”  

Sophia ran a business where she helped women who went through periods of abuse or trauma, according to her website. She also hosted “The Unfiltered and Free Podcast with Sophia Giraldo.”