Police said a 37-year-old Williston Park man beat and choked his 75-year-old mother during an argument inside their home.
WILLISTON PARK, N.Y. — A Long Island man is charged with attempted murder and other crimes after police said he beat, choked and struck his 75-year-old mother with a metal clamp during an attack inside a Williston Park home on April 1.
Authorities said the woman survived and was taken to a hospital in stable condition, while her son, John Strano, 37, was arrested nearby without incident. Prosecutors have described the injuries as severe, and the case quickly moved from a domestic dispute to an attempted murder prosecution. The charges, the woman’s age and the details described in court have drawn attention across Nassau County as the criminal case begins.
According to Nassau County police, officers were called to a home on Broad Street on Wednesday evening, April 1, after a report of a violent assault. Investigators said Strano and his mother were arguing when the confrontation turned physical. Police said he pushed her to the ground and repeatedly slammed her head against the floor. Detectives said he then punched her in the face numerous times, struck her in the head with what police described as a blunt metal object or clamp, and choked her before leaving the house. The woman was able to report the attack, and emergency crews took her to a local hospital. By the time officers arrived, police said the suspect had fled the immediate scene, prompting a search in the surrounding neighborhood.
Police later found Strano about a mile away near the baseball field at Center Street Elementary School, according to follow-up reporting on the arrest. He was taken into custody without incident and later charged with second-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors said in court that he struck his mother in the back of the head more than three dozen times with a metal clamp and that she lost consciousness during the attack. They also said she suffered swelling across her face and head and severe lacerations. Her name has not been released publicly. Authorities have not said whether anyone else was inside the home when the attack happened or whether there had been earlier police responses at that address.
The alleged remarks tied to the case have become one of its most disturbing details. Prosecutors said Strano shouted, “Why aren’t you dying?” and “Why are you still breathing?” during the assault. Those statements, along with the number of alleged blows and the victim’s injuries, are likely to be central as the prosecution tries to show intent. Police first announced the arrest in a public notice describing the case as an attempted murder investigation in Williston Park, a village in central Nassau County on Long Island. The woman’s condition was listed as stable, but court accounts made clear that investigators believe the injuries were serious. Even at this early stage, the case stands out because of both the severity of the alleged violence and the close family relationship between the accused and the victim.
Strano pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned, according to follow-up reports, and a judge ordered that he be held without bail. The attempted murder charge is the most serious count now filed, but the case will continue to move through the Nassau County court system as prosecutors turn over evidence and defense attorneys review the allegations. Court proceedings are expected to focus on the victim’s medical records, statements to police, any physical evidence recovered from the home, and the circumstances of Strano’s arrest nearby. Officials have not publicly described any defense argument beyond the not-guilty plea, and they have not released additional details about motive. It also remains unclear whether prosecutors plan to seek an indictment from a grand jury or whether any further charges could be added.
Neighbors and passersby saw a heavy police presence in the area after the attack, according to local reporting, as officers closed off part of the block and searched nearby grounds before the arrest. The scene added another layer of shock in a residential area better known for quiet streets and schools than violent crime investigations. The image of officers taking a suspect into custody on a school baseball field only hours after classes had ended sharpened that contrast. For investigators, though, the case appears to rest less on spectacle than on the victim’s account, her injuries and the physical evidence collected after officers arrived. Those pieces are expected to shape the next phase of the prosecution as the court process continues.
The case remains active, with Strano in custody and his mother recovering in stable condition. The next milestone is his return to court, where prosecutors are expected to outline the evidence supporting the attempted murder and assault charges.
Author note: Last updated April 7, 2026.