Man who stabbed wife in Jackson Heights nail salon sentenced to 25 years

A Corona man stabbed his estranged wife to death inside Tu S’tilo Salon and Spa last August. Photo via Google Maps.

By Victoria Merlino

A Corona man who stabbed his estranged wife to death inside of a Jackson Heights nail salon was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday. 

William Rivas, 39, entered the nail salon where the victim, Carmen Iris Santiago, 35, worked in the early evening hours of Aug. 7, 2019, and began to argue with her. After the owner of the salon escorted him out, Rivas barged back into the salon, pulled out a long knife, and stabbed Santiago in the chest multiple times. Santiago died from her injuries. 

“Today’s sentence of the court punishes this defendant for committing this fatal domestic violence attack against his estranged wife, whom he repeatedly stabbed in front of horrified onlookers at her workplace,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.