HVCC stabbing suspect appears in court

The suspect in Thursday’s stabbing at Hudson Valley Community College was in court on Friday morning.

Zymiere Walton, 20, is facing two felony charges and one misdemeanor charge. He pled not guilty.

Meantime, the victim, a 19-year-old woman is still being treated at the hospital. The victim’s mother says her daughter had open heart surgery, a stroke and is paralyzed on her left side.

Walton is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.

The suspect and the victim are HVCC students, who had a prior relationship, said Donnelly. She says they got into an argument. Donnelly says the victim went to her car and Walton followed her.

Once inside the car, Walton allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times.  He is accused of pushing her out of the car and then driving off with her car.

Walton’s attorney claims that his client was acting in self-defense and that the woman attacked his client.

The attorney also claims that the woman was battling mental health issues.

He argued that Walton is an honor roll student at HVCC who has no prior criminal history.

“We don’t look at the defendant and what they’re all about. We look at the charge, and he is charged with attempted murder. So this is one case where bail reform is working in our favor,” said Donnelly. “It really doesn’t matter is if he is an honor roll student. He stabbed an innocent young woman, who is fighting for her life in the hospital.”

Walton was ordered to stay in jail. His attorney declined to comment.