'Brutal, Vicious'' Attack Is How Judge Describes Woman Stabbed 22 Times

WOBURN, MA -- Due to the "brutal, vicious nature of this attack," a superior court judge told a former Waltham man that she was holding him without bail as a "danger to society"' for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend's mother 22 times.

In Middlesex Superior Court on Thursday, Judge Kathe Tuttman ordered that Ping Hong, 32, of Waltham, be held without bail. Hong has pleaded not guilty to charges of: armed assault to murder, armed assault in a dwelling, mayhem, assault and battery causing serious bodily injury (two counts) assault and battery, and violation of a restraining order (seven counts).

"He killed me,'' the victim told Waltham police as she stumbled toward them covered in her own blood and then collapsed after the March 16 attack in her home, police said.

The mother survived, but her thumb was nearly severed, her lips were cut by being stabbed in the face, and she has multiple lacerations to her stomach, prosecutor Carrie Spiros said in court on Thursday..

Spiros explained that Hong and the victim's daughter had been in a dating relationship and living in her mother's Waltham home. Last winter, Hong moved out of the home, but on March 16 he returned to retrieve some items.

Hong and the daughter argued and he allegedly punched her in the face.

When the daughter told her mother about the incident, her mother told Hong that he must stay away from her daughter. Hong allegedly begged for forgiveness, but her mother refused.

At around 11 p.m. on March 26, Hong sent repeated text messages to his ex-girlfriend threatening to kill her, Spiros alleges.

When Hong asked to retrieve some personal items from the home, the mother, fearing for her daughter's safety, told her to leave the home and hide until Hong left.

When Hong arrived, the victim let him into the home. Hong demanded to speak to the daughter, but the victim refused.

Hong allegedly became angry and told the victim he was going to count to 10, "then something bad would happen if he got to 10,'' Spiros said.

As he was counting, he allegedly pulled out a sushi-style knife and began to stab the victim.

"You die, you die, you die,'' police allege an enraged Ping Hong told the victim as he stabbed her 22 times in her Howard Street home in Waltham.

As the victim - Hong's ex-girlfriend's mother - "played dead'' to stop the attack, Hong allegedly fled the Waltham home following the March 26 incident.

Hong then placed a blanket over the victim, left her for dead, and fled the home. Spiros said.

Even after Hong was arrested and held in jail, Spiros alleges that he violated a restraining he called the ex-girlfriend six times from behind bars.

The victim has endured multiple surgeries to help heal her wounds. She continues to be in pain and unable to fully use her left hand due to nerve damage, Spiros said.

While the defense attorney asked that Hong be released on 24-hour house arrest, a GPS monitoring device, Spiros explained that Hong is a Chinese national with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer on him.

Hong's next court date is June 7 for a scheduling hearing.

Photo of Ping Hong by Lisa Redmond/lisa.redmond@patch.com.