A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after pleading guilty in a brutal 2023 hammer attack in Sunset Park that left a mother dead and her two young children critically injured. Prosecutors say the violence erupted inside a cramped, shared apartment, rattling neighbors and sparking an outpouring of concern that has continued as the family works through a long recovery.
According to Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on June 17 that 50-year-old Liyong Ye pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder and received a sentence of 20 years to life. “This defendant carried out a shockingly brutal assault on an innocent mother and her two defenseless young children, leaving the family shattered and the community heartbroken,” Gonzalez said in a statement quoted by the paper.
How Prosecutors Say The Attack Unfolded
Prosecutors say the Aug. 23, 2023 attack took place inside a shared apartment at 531 52nd Street in Sunset Park. In a 2023 press release from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, officials said Ye used a hammer to repeatedly strike 43-year-old Zhao Zhao and her two children, then strangled the mother. A roommate later discovered Ye holding a bloody hammer and called 911, according to that statement.
Children’s Recovery And Community Support
The two children, ages 5 and 3 at the time, were treated at Bellevue Hospital’s pediatric trauma unit before being moved to a long-term rehabilitation facility, where local coverage reports they have made significant progress. Fundraisers and neighborhood groups rallied to raise money for the family’s medical and living expenses after the attack, according to World Journal.
Sentence, Courtroom And What Comes Next
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun imposed the 20-year-to-life term after Ye’s guilty plea, closing a case that prosecutors say grew out of ongoing disputes between roommates over living conditions. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution; news reports did not immediately include any defense filings or comment from Ye’s attorney. The legal case may be over, but for the family and neighbors who watched it unfold, both the emotional fallout and the practical challenges are expected to linger far longer.
