NEW YORK, NY – A Brooklyn man who killed a 61-year-old woman with a rock while she was sweeping the sidewalk has pleaded guilty.
Earlier this week, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Elisaul Perez pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in connection with the November 2021 attack on 61-year-old Guiying Ma. While sweeping the sidewalk and street on the block of a friend’s house, Ma was struck in the head by a large rock.
“Her family, friends and neighbors still mourn the loss of Guiying Ma, whose life was senselessly taken last year in this brutal attack,” District Attorney Katz said. “The defendant will now be held to account for an unprovoked attack that robbed a family of their loved one. The lengthy sentence to be imposed by the court is fully justified.”
As a result of his plea, Perez, 33, of Blake Avenue, Brooklyn, was found guilty of manslaughter in the first degree. According to Justice Michael Yavinsky of the Queens Supreme Court, he will sentence Perez on January 10 to a term of 20 years in prison to be followed by a period of five years of post-release supervision.
At approximately 8:00 am on November 26, 2021, the victim was observed sweeping the sidewalk and street in front of 38th Avenue near 97th Street. After a few minutes, as captured on surveillance video, the defendant picked up a large rock and struck Ma in the head with it. Perez struck Ma with the rock a second time after she had fallen to the ground.