Poughkeepsie resident DeJahn Ruffin, 39, was sentenced in Dutchess County Court to 12 years in prison for attempted first-degree assault, Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi announced on Thursday, June 11.
He also received concurrent sentences of seven years for second-degree assault and 2⅓ to 7 years for aggravated criminal contempt.
The sentence stems from an attack that occurred during the early morning hours of Oct. 20, 2025, at 23 Harrison St. in the City of Poughkeepsie.
As previously reported by Daily Voice, police responded around 1:30 a.m. to a report of a stabbing and found a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds. Ruffin fled before officers arrived, but was later found and arrested the same day.
According to prosecutors, Ruffin grabbed the victim by the hair while she was seated in the driver's seat of her vehicle, and he was in the passenger seat. He then stabbed her multiple times in the neck, chest, torso, left arm, and both hands.
The victim suffered significant injuries and blood loss that impaired her physical condition and caused substantial pain, prosecutors said. She was treated at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital, where she received sutures for her wounds.
Authorities noted that an active full order of protection was in place at the time of the attack and that Ruffin was aware of it.
Ruffin pleaded guilty to the charges on April 21, 2026.
In a statement on Thursday, Parisi condemned Ruffin's actions: "This defendant not only violated an active order of protection but carried out a violent and sustained attack that could have easily resulted in death. The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the severity of these crimes."
After his release, Ruffin will be subject to five years of post-release supervision.
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