Repeat offender faces life in prison for fatal rock attack on Guiying Ma
By Carl Samson
A homeless Brooklyn man accused of a vicious rock attack in the Queens neighborhood of North Corona that landed an elderly Asian woman in a coma has been indicted on murder and manslaughter charges, authorities announced on Monday.
Guiying Ma, 62, was sweeping outside her home near the corner of 38th Avenue and 97th Street at around 8 a.m. on Nov. 26, 2021, when Elisaul Perez, 33, who had been sleeping on the sidewalk, reportedly picked up a chunk of concrete and struck her in the head.
Ma fell to the ground and Perez bashed her in the head a second time, according to court documents. Perez then walked away, leaving Ma with a severe brain injury that reportedly kept her in a medically-induced coma for the next 88 days.
Ma underwent surgery and received treatment for a skull fracture, facial fractures and brain bleeding at Elmhurst Hospital Center. On Feb. 22, she succumbed to her injuries.
Perez, who has at least 11 prior arrests, was initially charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon. However, those charges were upgraded following Ma’s death.
On Monday, a Queens County grand jury indicted the suspect on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He now faces 25 years to life in prison.
Ma, who is survived by her husband, son and two grandchildren, immigrated to New York City from Liaoning, China, four years ago.
“The entire community has been mourning over the brutal attack that took the life of Guiying Ma, who immigrated to this country in hopes of being able to provide for her family,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “We are committed to remaining vigilant at every stage of a case to help ensure justice for victims and family members.”
Ma’s murder, which was the fourth in a series of fatal attacks against Asians in New York City, has triggered a protest against anti-Asian violence. However, Perez is not being charged with a hate crime following an investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.
A GoFundMe fundraiser organized to help raise money for Ma’s medical bills and funeral expenses has raised nearly $235,000 as of this writing.
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