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Viltus attacked the victim at the Hillside Hotel.
By Forum Staff
A Cambria Heights man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder in the April 2018 attack on his transgender girlfriend, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz recently announced.
David Viltus, 31, has been ordered to serve 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years’ post-release supervision and issued an order of protection barring the defendant from having any contact with the victim.
On April 18, 2018, Viltus went to the Hillside Hotel in Jamaica where the victim, a 29-year-old transgender woman was staying. The victim, who had been prostituting herself for the defendant, refused to continue engaging in sex acts for cash. That’s when Viltus erupted in anger. He punched her in the face with a closed fist and used a scalpel to slash her in the face. He smashed a plant on her head and threw her against a door, knocking the door off its hinges, Katz noted.
“The victim in this case was attempting to free herself from exploitation and sex trafficking when the defendant—who was taking the money she made—viciously attacked her. The defendant admitted his guilt and has now been ordered to prison for his criminal actions,” Katz added. “Anyone who feels trapped by circumstances similar to this victim’s should know this: You are not alone. We are here to continue to vigorously prosecute such cases and protect victims of trafficking and assault.”
