A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a woman who passed away months after he attacked her with a rock in Queens, prosecutors said Thursday.

Elisaul Perez, 33, faces 20 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, for attacking 61-year-old Guiying Ma in Corona in November of last year, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a press release Thursday morning.

Perez’ sentencing is set for Jan. 10, the release said.


What You Need To Know

  • Elisaul Perez has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of 61-year-old Queens resident Guiying Ma, prosecutors said Thursday

  • Perez was accused of attacking Ma with a rock in Corona, Queens in November 2021

  • Ma spent three months in the hospital after undergoing surgery for “severe head trauma and brain injuries," prosecutors said. She succumbed to her injuries this past February

  • Perez faces 20 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision

“Her family, friends and neighbors still mourn the loss of Guiying Ma, whose life was senselessly taken last year in this brutal attack,” Katz said in a statement.

Ma was sweeping a sidewalk and street on 38th Avenue, near 97th Street, on Nov. 26, 2021 when Perez bashed her in the head with a rock two times, prosecutors said.

She spent three months in the hospital after undergoing surgery for “severe head trauma and brain injuries,” the DA’s office said.

Her husband, son and grandchildren hoped she would recover after she emerged from a medically induced coma in mid-February, but on Feb. 22, she succumbed to her injuries.

At the time, Ma’s husband told NY1 he and his wife had moved to the U.S. from China four-and-a-half years earlier.

While Perez was never charged with a hate crime, Ma’s death came amid an increase in anti-Asian violence in the five boroughs.

NY1 has reached out to Perez’ attorney for comment.