Wife insult sparked parking spot spat that led to Queens man stabbing driver
A Queens man charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a driver over a parking spot hit the roof when the victim insulted his wife, witnesses told The Post Monday.
Anthony Thomas, 58, exploded with rage when he caught the victim, Gregory Williams, moving a traffic cone that was holding a space right outside Thomas’ home on Mentone Avenue just after 5 p.m. Sunday.
“I need two spots, one for mine, one for my wife’s car!” Thomas came out of his house screaming, according to the witness, who asked not to be named.
Williams, 49, who was visiting friends in Laurelton and trying to park his 2016 black Infiniti Q50, snapped back, “You don’t own the f–king block!”
The witness claimed Thomas disappeared inside his house for a moment and then came out with a 9-inch butcher knife tucked in his sock to confront Williams — as Thomas’ wife stood in the doorway telling him to “bring your ass in the house!”
“Go back with your bitch-ass wife!” Williams shouted at Thomas — which allegedly sent him over the edge, the witness recalled.
“Anthony grabbed his wrist and [Williams] tried to run,” the witness said. “He held his arm and started stabbing him. Stabbed him like six times and let him go. People were screaming.”
Another neighbor, Mark Pierre, added, “When he disrespected his wife, Anthony said, ‘What was that? I need to hear that again!’ Guy said it at least three times and then picked up a rock!”
Sources said Thomas allegedly stabbed Williams seven times in the chest and abdomen — leaving the victim clinging to life at Jamaica Hospital.
Thomas didn’t put up a fight when cops came to arrest him, according to his next-door neighbor Beverly Matthews, who described him as being “very particular about his space.”
“He thinks of himself as the mayor of the block,” said Matthews, 66.
“He didn’t resist, he didn’t say anything,” Matthews said about his arrest. “He looked calm as they took him away hands cuffed behind him.”
Thomas is charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon, cops said Monday.
His wife was distraught Monday, telling reporters that’s “not who he is.”
“I stayed up all night,” said Sabrina Thomas, while trying to hold back tears. “I don’t know what happened. Ask anybody around here. He’s an absolutely wonderful man. He takes care of his family, takes care of everything and everyone. Everybody loves him.”
Williams is in stable condition, police said.
Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
