GOSHEN – An Albany man pled guilty in Orange County Court on Tuesday to attempted assault for stabbing a fellow passenger on a commercial bus traveling on the Thruway from Albany to New York City in August 2022.
Maleek Phillips, 38, admitted that on August 26, as the bus traveled through the Town of Newburgh, he began threatening passengers on the bus, pulled a knife and cut the victim on the neck and chest, causing a collapsed lung.
Phillips fled and cut his own throat before he was located nearby by police with the knife still in his hand.
He is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison when he is back in court next month. He will also have to serve five years of post-release supervision.
“No one expects a peaceful bus trip to turn into the violent nightmare this defendant created,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “Miraculously, the victim in this case survived the serious injuries caused by the defendant. However, violence like this will not be tolerated and my office will continue to dedicate all available resources to hold violence offenders accountable for their actions.”
(Hectic crime scene on the Thruway in the Town of Newburgh last August. Video by Mark Lieb, Rockland Video Productions)
