Orange County resident Steven Lillo, age 39, of Newburgh, pled guilty on Monday, March 27 to the crime which took place in July 2021, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
The plea was entered immediately before a trial in the matter was scheduled to commence. Under the plea agreement, Lillo faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced in July.
As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 25, 2021, Lillo engaged in an argument with his wife at their home. During the argument, Lillo retrieved a BB gun and shot his wife in the head five times at close range and once in the hand, causing BBs to become lodged in her head/
Lillo then repeatedly pistol-whipped her with the BB gun, causing lacerations to her forehead. Lillo and the victim’s 7-year-old child observed part of the altercation and called the police, court documents show.
At the plea proceedings, Lillo admitted to using the BB gun to cause his wife physical injury, Hoovler said.
“Domestic violence is insidious and intolerable,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “While this defendant perpetrated his brutality behind closed doors, the brave actions of the victims in the case ensured that his crimes were brought to light."
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