A Central Islip man was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing and strangling his wife while she slept. He had also been previously convicted for drunk driving and reckless endangerment, among other crimes.
On May 10, 2024, while the victim was sleeping in her Central Islip home, Rodolfo Alvarez stabbed her in the back with a kitchen knife and then strangled her until she lost consciousness. Alvarez then dragged her to the floor and continued to strangle her until he was interrupted by a relative who knocked and entered the room to let Alvarez know that police were on their way. Alvarez fled the residence before police arrived. The victim was transported to South Shore University Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.
Police were unable to locate Alvarez until September 26, 2024, when he rear-ended and sideswiped the victim’s vehicle as she was driving to work, causing his own car to roll. When the car came to a stop, Alvarez fled on foot, but the police located him a short distance away and saw that he exhibited signs of intoxication. A blood sample drawn approximately one hour after the crash showed that Alvarez’s blood alcohol content was .22, over two times the legal limit.
On April 28, 2026, Alvarez, 35, pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz:
- one count of Attempted Murder, a Class B violent felony
- one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony
- two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, Class D violent felonies
- one count of Strangulation in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony
- one count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, a Class D felony
- two counts of Driving While Intoxicated, Class D felonies
- two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A misdemeanors
- one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- one count of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Resulting in Injury, a Class A misdemeanor
On August 20, 2026, Horowitz sentenced Alvarez to 18 years in prison to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
“Today, justice has been served against this defendant who strangled and stabbed his sleeping wife,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Thankfully, she survived that brutal attack and will no longer have to worry about her safety while this defendant serves many years in prison.”
Alvarez has been convicted of Driving While Intoxicated four times, including one conviction in 2014, two convictions in 2019, and one conviction in 2023. He also has convictions for Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, and Menacing in the Third Degree.