(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Daniel Spector, 42, of Smithtown, was indicted for Attempted Murder, Burglary, and other related charges, for allegedly breaking into a family member’s St. James home, stabbing the family member multiple times, and then threatening the family member’s child*.
“The viciousness that this defendant allegedly showed toward a family member, especially with a minor hiding nearby, is appalling,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Domestic violence will never be tolerated. We will vigorously prosecute this case and hold the defendant accountable for his alleged crimes.”
According to the investigation, on the morning of May 28, 2026, Spector allegedly went to a family member’s home in St. James in violation of a court-issued order of protection. He then allegedly kicked open the front door, made threats, and forced his way into the victim’s bedroom while the victim attempted to barricade themself inside. Spector gained entry into the bedroom and allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times in the chest, arms, and legs, with a makeshift weapon that he allegedly made with a broomstick with a sharp metal object attached. Throughout the incident, Spector allegedly threatened to kill the victim and threatened to harm the victim’s minor child, who was hiding in a closet in a nearby room.
Spector then allegedly grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the victim in the face, then strangled the victim, dragged them into another room, and pressed his shin against their neck until they lost consciousness. The victim’s mother intervened when Spector allegedly began dragging the victim towards the staircase in an apparent attempt to throw them down the stairs. Spector then allegedly fled the home and the victim’s mother called 911. The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Spector was apprehended by members of the Suffolk County Police Department a few blocks away from the victim’s home.
On June 10, 2026, Spector was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, for the following charges:
· One count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a Class B violent felony;
· Two counts of Burglary in the First Degree, Class B violent felonies;
· One count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony;
· One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
· One count of Strangulation in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
· One count of Aggravated Criminal Contempt, a Class D felony;
· Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, Class D felonies;
· One count of Criminal Contempt in the First Degree, a Class E felony, and
· One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
Justice Mazzei ordered Spector to be remanded during the pendency of the case. Spector is due back in court on July 14, 2026, and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count. He is being represented by Jason Bassett, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kelly of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Cassius Ziccardi of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Squad.
*The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is not naming the victim or further defining the familial relationship in order to protect the identity of the victim and their minor child.