A man jumped from balcony to balcony, found a stranger sleeping, and used a pair of scissors in an attack that lasted long enough to land 100 stabs

A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in connection with a fatal home invasion in Flushing, Queens. Yang Zhang received his sentence on June 3, 2026, in Queens Supreme Court, where Justice Ira Margulis presided over the case. Zhang had entered his guilty plea on May 13, for crimes committed in May 2022.

As detailed by True Crime News, Zhang climbed to a third-floor balcony on 57th Road in Flushing in the early morning hours of May 22, 2022, moving from balcony to balcony before gaining entry to an apartment at approximately 2:00 AM. Inside, he found 41-year-old Yat Ming Wong and his wife sleeping. His presence woke the couple, and a physical confrontation followed.

Wong’s wife was able to flee the bedroom and escape without physical injury. Wong was not as fortunate. Zhang attacked him with a pair of scissors, inflicting more than 100 stab and slash wounds across his legs, neck, arms, and head. Wong was pronounced dead at the scene.

The attack came one day after Zhang had already broken into another home in Flushing

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz addressed the case following the sentencing. “Yang Zhang broke into the home of a married couple in the middle of the night and terrorized them,” Katz said. “He stabbed 41-year-old Yat Ming Wong to death with a pair of scissors, inflicting more than 100 wounds in a brutal and unprovoked act of violence. We hope today’s sentence provides a measure of comfort to Mr. Wong’s loved ones as they continue to mourn his completely senseless loss.”

Investigators determined that Zhang had burglarized a separate home on Haight Street in Flushing just one day before the fatal attack. In that incident, he also scaled the building to reach a third-floor apartment, though no one was home at the time. Amid a string of stabbing cases involving victims attacked while asleep across the New York area, the Wong case stands out for both the number of wounds and the randomness of the target.

Following the attack on May 22, Zhang was taken into custody after being Tased by police. He later told authorities he had been searching for drugs. The two men had no prior relationship.

The prosecution was handled by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos of the Homicide Bureau, under Bureau Chief John Kosinski and Deputy Chiefs Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe. The associated burglary case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Emily Santoro of the Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, supported by Bureau Chief Michael Whitney and Deputy Chief Timothy Regan. Both matters were handled under the executive supervision of Shawn Clark. The Queens DA’s office confirmed the full details of the sentencing in an official release.

Zhang, who also faced a separate charge for the Haight Street burglary, is now serving his 18-years-to-life sentence. Cases involving home invasions resulting in fatal attacks have drawn renewed scrutiny in the region, with courts and prosecutors pointing to the need for accountability in burglaries that escalate to violence when victims are present.