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A New York man was convicted Monday of fatally stabbing a longtime emergency services officer in a 2022 unprovoked attack that took place steps away from her station in Queens.
The victim, Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, 61, was ambushed while heading to a corner store in her uniform to get something to eat. One of the first responders to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, she was months away from a planned retirement when she died.
Peter Zisopoulos, 37, was convicted on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He's scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 and faces 25 years to life in prison, according to prosecutors.
There was no indication Russo-Elling knew Zisopoulos, who fled to his apartment and was arrested after locking himself inside. Zisopoulos' lawyer previously said his client “has a past psychiatric history going back to 2018.”
District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement she hopes the conviction "brings Alison’s family, friends and coworkers solace as we continue to grieve her loss."
Russo-Elling was posthumously promoted to captain.
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