A Deer Park woman has been found guilty of what prosecutors describe as a late‑night bedroom attack that left her boyfriend badly maimed, after jurors concluded she tossed a lit explosive device at him while he slept.
How prosecutors say it unfolded
Prosecutors say the chain of events started with an argument on March 22, 2024. After the dispute, the victim briefly left the home and told Keyonna Waddell to leave. He later returned and went to bed.
According to investigators, he told them he woke up to a hissing sound, saw a flame on the bedroom floor and spotted an object that looked like a stick of dynamite. When he tried to smother it and carry it outside, the device detonated in his hand. Prosecutors say he ran to his driveway and saw Waddell fleeing. He was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center, where doctors amputated the remainder of his hand, according to Patch.
DA's statement
“Domestic violence can escalate to deadly levels, and this case is a sobering reminder of that reality,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said, as reported by News 12 New York. The DA’s office publicly credited its prosecutors and Suffolk County police for securing the conviction.
Charges and what comes next
Jurors convicted Waddell, 35, of first‑degree assault and first‑degree criminal possession of a weapon, both Class B violent felonies, after a trial before Judge Richard Horowitz. She faces up to 25 years in prison at a sentencing hearing set for May 27. Her attorney, Eric Besso, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Patch.
Statewide context and resources
The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence’s 2024 Gender‑Based Violence Dashboard tracks thousands of hotline calls and program admissions across the state, underscoring how widespread intimate‑partner violence remains. The dashboard is available through the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or the New York State domestic and sexual violence hotline at 800‑942‑6906 (text 844‑997‑2121).
Sentencing on May 27 will be the next public chapter in the case, as the court decides how severely to punish what prosecutors say was a calculated act that capped a volatile relationship.
