Tragic Incident: Man Allegedly Forces Mother Out of Third-Story Window During Financial Dispute

A New York man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a violent altercation that led to his mother being pushed out of a third-story window during a dispute over money. This incident will see the 37-year-old spend a substantial portion of his life behind bars.

George Tsintzelis received the lengthy sentence from a Queens County Supreme Court judge, with an additional five years of post-release supervision, as announced by the Queens District Attorney’s Office. A jury found Tsintzelis guilty in December, convicting him on multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and aggravated criminal contempt.

The altercation took place on November 15, 2024, around 9:10 p.m. in their Astoria, Queens apartment, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and court evidence. Tsintzelis and his mother were embroiled in a heated argument over financial matters, which escalated to violence.

During the dispute, Tsintzelis assaulted his mother with a cane before retrieving two knives from the kitchen. He menaced her with the knives, forcing her onto the window ledge and ultimately pushing her out, resulting in a three-story fall, as detailed by authorities.

Residents of the Marine Terrace apartment complex witnessed the 64-year-old woman’s fall and promptly contacted emergency services, as reported by local news outlet QNS. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for severe injuries, including multiple fractures, a tongue laceration, intestinal damage, and internal bleeding. Despite undergoing several surgeries and being intubated, she continues her recovery more than a year after the incident.

“This defendant committed an unthinkable act of violence against his own mother,” Katz said. “George Tsintzelis held two knives against his mother’s body as he forced the 64-year-old woman onto a window ledge and threw her out of their third-story apartment.”

The district attorney described the woman’s survival as “miraculous” and noted that she “bravely testified” against her son a year after the crime.

During his trial, Tsintzelis was indignant on the stand, according to courtroom footage obtained by the New York Post.

“I love my mother. The DA is trying to destroy my family,” he said. “I want to see my mother and help her. She has a mental health issue. It’s not fair that I lose my freedom for somebody that has mental health problems. She did that to herself.”

After the mother’s fall, Tsintzelis “called 911 and he pretended to have no idea what just happened,” Assistant District Attorney Christina Mavrikis said, per the newspaper. “Arguably the worst part of this is he left her there to die on the ground.”

The mother, for her part, said her son “needs help” and that she tried to assist him with programs and letting him live with her but is also scared of what he could do if he is to be released from prison, Mavrikis reportedly stated.

Astoria is located in northwest Queens, just east of Manhattan in New York City.