New York man gets 14 years in prison for fatal road rage stabbing
MOUNT PLEASANT, Westchester County (WABC) -- An upstate New York man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of a Westchester County man during a road rage incident was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday.
Christian Walczyk, of Lagrangeville, killed Daniel Siino in the May 2017 incident on the Taconic State Parkway in Mount Pleasant.
Siino and his wife were driving southbound in their Acura SUV when they encountered Walczyk, who was also headed southbound in his BMW sedan. At some point, Walczyk's vehicle pulled in front of Siino's and braked suddenly, forcing Siino to brake hard as well.
Siino then tried to pass, but Walczyk did not allow it, investigators said. When both drivers pulled over and got out of the car, authorities say Walczyk brandished a fake badge while concealing a folding knife behind his back. When the two were face to face, Walczyk stabbed Siino twice in the chest.
Siino's wife started driving him to a hospital and called 911. He was found by emergency crews and troopers and was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Troopers say Walczyk left the scene and called 911 claiming to be the victim before he was arrested.
Walczyk pleaded guilty in September to first-degree manslaughter.
Members of the Siino's family read impact statements in court. The victim's brother, Joseph Siino, and his sister, Melissa Siino, spoke to the court on behalf of the Siino's wife and extended family, including the victim's daughter, who was 14 months old when her father was killed.
Melissa Siino told the court of their loss, that a "piece of us died that night on the cold pavement" along with him. But she said their concern is mostly for the little girl, telling Walczyk, "Your selfish and cruel action denied her her father."
Upon sentencing, Judge Barry Warhit told the defendant, "You took so much from his daughter."
Calling Walczyk's actions "brazen" and an "ego issue," he added, "You destroyed a family and took a life."
Walcyzk declined to read a statement, but at one point, he turned and apologized to the family.
"I couldn't even begin to describe how sorry I am," he said. "Every single day, I pray for you guys. Every single day. Every day. You have no idea how sorry I am."
Joseph Siino spoke outside the courtroom after the hearing, saying he had no interest in Walcyzk's apologies.
"He's a menace to this world, and he deserves to be behind bars forever," he said. "What he did was unfathomable, OK? He pretended to be an officer of the law to drop a man's guard and then stab him not once, but twice in the chest. That's disgusting...Your apologies mean nothing. You want to apologize? Go apologize to his litter daughter who has no daddy. Go apologize to my mother, who talks to a tomb. Go apologize to them. It means nothing."
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