District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison For Stabbing His Ex-Girlfriend

            WASHINGTON – Donta Winslow, 33 of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend last summer while they were in her car in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

            Winslow pled guilty in November 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence within the range of 13 to 16 years. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea today and sentenced Winslow accordingly. After his prison term, Winslow will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, Winslow was previously in a romantic relationship with the victim. She had ended the romantic relationship, however. In the late morning of Aug. 14, 2015, Winslow approached and then got into the victim’s car. At one point, near the intersection of 46th and Meade Streets NE, Winslow forced the victim to pull the car onto a curb. The victim was in the driver’s seat, and Winslow was in the passenger seat.

            Winslow took out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the body, including in the back of her neck, back, and chest. The victim was curled down, facing forward in the seat, when Winslow stabbed her. A witness approached the car and confronted Winslow, causing him to get out of the car and run away.

            When officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene, they found the victim motionless on her side. She was transported to the hospital via ambulance. She had approximately 11 stab wounds to her body, and two collapsed lungs. She was admitted to the hospital for almost two months. She has severe spinal cord damage from the stabbing that initially left her paralyzed. Through extensive physical therapy, she has regained some of her motor skills, but remains significantly impaired.

            Winslow fled the scene and was apprehended in Washington, D.C., shortly after the incident. He has been in custody ever since.

             In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Erica Vample and Joyce Arthur, and Victim/Witness Advocate Meshall Thomas. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.