Domestic Violence Assailant gets 12 Years in Prison for Merciless, Near-Fatal Stabbing Spree

The defendant stabbed his partner inside their apartment and then continued to stab her as he chased her down the street

August 15, 2025

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that a White Plains man who tried to kill his wife by repeatedly stabbing her with a knife and chasing her down the street will spend 12 years in state prison.

Carlos Obed-Tovar, 35, was sentenced Thursday by Judge James McCarty, who further ordered him to undergo 5 years of post-release supervision once his prison sentence is complete.

DA Cacace said: ““The incalculable damage done by this defendant, and the depravity displayed as he hunted his partner down the street, are harrowing reminders of the consequences of domestic violence.

“The victim’s perseverance through this attack and her commitment to assisting with this prosecution show that courage can be found even in moments of profound darkness.

“I also wish to recognize the good Samaritans who stood by to assist the victim during the assault. Their heroic actions are a credit to the entire Westchester community.”

On May 4, 2024, the victim was inside her basement apartment with her then-6-year-old daughter and Obed-Tovar. After learning that the victim had a conversation with a male colleague at her place of employment, Obed-Tovar retrieved a knife from the kitchen and began stabbing the victim all over her body, including the inside of her fingers, which she had held up as a means of self-defense.

The victim managed to wrangle the knife away from Obed-Tovar, only for him to go and retrieve another knife from the kitchen with the aim of continuing to stab her. The victim fled from the apartment, and Obed-Tovar pursued her down the street, catching up to her and repeatedly stabbing her with a second knife with such force that the handle broke off and the blade was lodged in her head.

His actions caught the attention of a good Samaritan, later identified as White Plains resident Armando Gramajo, who demanded that the defendant cease his conduct, which he did. Gramajo summoned for the assistance of his daughter, Shayla, then a nursing student, who ran outside with clean bedsheets to apply pressure to the victim’s open wounds.

The victim was left with approximately 35 cuts and stabs all over her body and permanent damage to her vocal cords.

In a victim impact statement read aloud at sentencing, the victim stated the following: “I still don't understand how I survived after 35 cuts and stabs you inflicted. The only thing clear to me is that God is great. He knows my heart and knows I was not a bad person. The only thing I know is that I survived for a purpose, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped and supported me through this process.”

Gramajo will be presented with a civilian hero award by the District Attorney in October. Shayla is now a nurse specializing in plastic surgery.

The investigation was conducted by the White Plains Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Domestic Violence Bureau Chief Joyce Miller and Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Kontos.