Woman Who Claimed Boyfriend Attempted Suicide Charged In Stabbing

Ben Yakas

Published May 12, 2012

Modified May 12, 2012

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Ben Yakas

Published May 12, 2012

Modified May 12, 2012

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A 22-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with attempted murder for stabbing her boyfriend on Friday. Yekaterina Pusepa initially claimed that boyfriend Alec Katsnelson had stabbed himself in the chest during an argument inside their Gold Street apartment; but when Katsnelson came out of surgery, he said she stabbed him with one of two knives that cops found.

Victim Alec Katsnelson (via Facebook)

The incident unfolded around 3:30 a.m. Friday morning; neighbors had heard arguing from the apartment, which Pusepa and Katsnelson share with his cousin. “I heard a lot of yelling, two people screaming,” a 26-year-old student who lives in the building told the Post. “A lot of the screaming was coming from a woman. She was screaming more and louder. It was anger and hostility like someone making threats. You could tell there was a fight.”

When cops arrived, Pusepa had helped Katsnelson downstairs—his body was drenched in blood from neck to waist, and she had bloody handprints on her as well (you can see pictures of her at the Post). “She was lying on top of him,” said neighbor Evelyn Gentile. “She looked scared.” While sobbing, Pusepa told cops she had grabbed a kitchen knife during a heated argument, but that Katsnelson had taken it from her hand and plunged it into his own chest. But sources told the Post she changed her story under questioning, and Katsnelson said she attacked him. She has not been charged with attempted murder and assault in the second degree.
The couple had been together since last November, and moved in together quickly; but neighbors said they argued a lot, he had tried to kick her out before, and he had spent a weekend in jail after one fight. Katsnelson’s mother, Lena Katsnelson, said her son was in the process of getting a restraining order against Pusepa, but he was in love with her: “I tell him this is the wrong relationship but he wouldn’t listen.”