A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 38 years in prison after repeatedly attacking his ex-girlfriend in a series of violent assaults that left her seriously injured, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Thursday.
Rakien Figueroa, also known as Rakeem Figueroa, 43, of East New York, was convicted of attempted murder, assault, and burglary. The attacks occurred between December 2022 and January 2023 and involved three separate incidents, including one at the victim’s workplace and another in her New Jersey home.
Sequence of Attacks
According to prosecutors, the violence unfolded over several weeks:
December 2, 2022:
- Figueroa and the 39-year-old victim argued near Jay Street and Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn after he took her cellphone from her workplace.
- During the confrontation, Figueroa slashed her face with a box cutter, leaving an eight-inch gash.
- The victim suffered severe nerve and gland damage and required reconstructive surgery.
December 4, 2022:
- Figueroa broke into the victim’s New Jersey apartment and hid inside her closet.
- When the woman and her sister entered the home, he threatened them with a hammer.
- He then pushed the woman to the floor and stepped on her neck, causing her difficulty breathing.
January 10, 2023:
- Figueroa returned to the woman’s workplace, smashed the store’s glass, and stabbed her multiple times.
- She suffered life-threatening injuries and spent at least three days in the ICU.
- Figueroa was finally arrested on January 17, 2023, when authorities found him hiding in a family member’s closet.
District Attorney’s Statement
District Attorney Gonzalez condemned the brutal attacks and emphasized the seriousness of intimate partner violence.
“This defendant engaged in a shocking pattern of violence that left the victim permanently scarred and nearly took her life,” Gonzalez said. “The lengthy sentence imposed today ensures he will no longer pose a threat to her or to the community.”
Authorities praised the victim’s courage throughout the investigation and prosecution and urged others facing domestic violence to seek help.
