Brooklyn stalker gets decades for slashing and stabbing former girlfriend — gavel stock photo

BROOKLYN, NY — A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 38 years in prison for a series of violent attacks against his former girlfriend, including slashing her face with a box cutter and later stabbing her multiple times at her workplace, prosecutors announced.

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office identified the defendant as 43-year-old Rakien Figueroa, also known as Rakeem Figueroa, of East New York. He was convicted in March of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, second-degree burglary, and second-degree assault following a jury trial.

Prosecutors said Figueroa first attacked the victim on December 2, 2022, near Jay and Fulton Streets in Downtown Brooklyn, slashing her face and causing permanent nerve and gland damage. He later ambushed her inside her New Jersey apartment, threatening her life, and on January 10, 2023, smashed into her workplace, a CAVA restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn, and stabbed her repeatedly, causing life-threatening injuries.

Figueroa fled after the final attack but was arrested on January 17, 2023, by NYPD detectives and U.S. Marshals.

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Chris Quigley is a Staff Writer and Community News Correspondent for Shore News Network, where she covers local government, public safety, community affairs, politics, and issues impacting residents throughout New Jersey. Her reporting focuses on delivering timely, accurate, and relevant news that helps readers stay informed about the communities in which they live and work.

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Chris Quigley is a graduate of Stockton State University and began her career at IN Jersey, the online news and media branch of the Asbury Park Press. She also worked at Monmouth Internet, the Ocean Signal Newspaper, and JTOWN Magazine during her career in both content management and operations.

Degrees: Business B.A. - Stockton University

Experience and interests: Criminal Justice, Business, Animal Care, Entertainment, Lottery News, Local News