A Bronx man who admitted attempting to kill a 75-year-old woman inside her apartment building elevator has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after the victim suffered a punctured lung and permanent nerve damage.
BRONX, N.Y. — A Bronx man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a violent knife attack on an elderly woman inside the elevator of her apartment building.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that Edwin Rios, 40, of Waters Place, was sentenced by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Alvin Yearwood after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted murder.
In addition to the prison term, Rios was sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.
Attack occurred inside apartment building elevator
According to prosecutors, the stabbing occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on March 31, 2024, inside a residential building in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.
Investigators said Rios attacked a 75-year-old woman while she was inside the building’s elevator.
The victim was stabbed multiple times with a knife and suffered severe injuries during the assault.
Victim suffered lasting injuries
Prosecutors said the woman sustained lacerations to her face and head as well as a punctured lung.
Following the attack, she spent two months in a nursing facility recovering from her injuries.
Authorities said the victim continues to suffer from permanent nerve damage more than two years after the assault.
Defendant pleaded guilty
Rios pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on June 1, 2026.
“This defendant committed an especially brutal crime,” District Attorney Clark said.
“For no reason he viciously attacked a 75-year-old woman in an elevator of her building. It is a miracle she survived. She is however still dealing with physical and emotional trauma two years later.”
Sentence imposed in Bronx Supreme Court
Justice Yearwood imposed the sentence during proceedings in Bronx Supreme Court.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jaime Breslin of Trial Bureau 40.
Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the severity of an unprovoked attack that left the victim with life-altering injuries.
Key Points
• Edwin Rios, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.
• Prosecutors said he stabbed a 75-year-old woman multiple times inside an elevator in her Morris Heights apartment building.
• The victim suffered a punctured lung, facial injuries, and permanent nerve damage.