The woman's husband was arrested following the attack, which happened in the couple's apartment at 42-11 Parsons Boulevard just before 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Police say a Good Samaritan kept the attack from being much worse.
The husband, identified as 53-year-old Kang Wang, reportedly has a history of mental illness and was released from Elmhurst Hospital's psychiatric ward on Tuesday. Police believe he simply snapped.
A trail of blood led down the stairs, tracing the victim's rush to escape her husband. She was identified as 52-year-old Liu Heizhen.
Authorities say a Good Samaritan stepped in once the victim was outside, beating Wang with an ice scraper until police arrived.
Witnesses say the victim was bleeding profusely from her head and arms. Wang was taken away on a stretcher, believed to have a broken arm. The cleaver was recovered at the scene.
Authorities say the couple's 22-year-old son was at home at the time and tried to intervene. He was treated for minor injuries. Heizhen remains in critical condition at New York Hospital-Queens, fighting for her life.
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