Nassau County police said the suspect was found about a mile from the home.
WILLISTON PARK, N.Y. — What began as a call for aid on April 1 became an attempted murder case after Nassau County police found a 75-year-old woman injured and arrested her 37-year-old son, John Strano.
The case now turns on a sequence police say unfolded between a Broad Street home, an Amherst Street response location and a school baseball field about a mile away. Detectives said the woman reported being attacked after an argument with Strano became violent. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempted murder, assault, obstruction of breathing and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police said officers were sent to Amherst Street at 5:42 p.m. for an aided case, a call type often used when someone needs medical help. At the scene, officers found the 75-year-old woman and began gathering information about where and how she had been injured. Detectives said she told them the attack happened inside a Broad Street residence, where she and her son had argued. The account changed the response from a medical matter into a criminal investigation. Police said Strano pushed her down, repeatedly slammed her head to the ground, punched her in the face and struck her head with a blunt metal object before choking her and leaving the home.
Prosecutors later added detail in court, saying the blunt object was a metal clamp and that the woman was struck in the back of the head more than three dozen times. They also said Strano made statements during the attack that included, “Why aren’t you dying?” and “Why are you still breathing?” The woman was taken to an area hospital, where police said she was in stable condition. Prosecutors said her injuries included severe lacerations, swelling across her face and head and a loss of consciousness. Officials have not released her name, and police did not say whether other people were inside the home when the attack happened.
The search for Strano moved away from the house after police said he fled. Officers later found him at Center Street Elementary School, about a mile from the initial scene, and took him into custody on the baseball field. The arrest happened after students had left for the day, according to local accounts of the scene. Police said Strano was arrested without incident and taken to an area hospital for an evaluation. The Herricks School District said it was aware of the police activity but did not comment further. No school-related injuries were reported, and authorities did not describe the school as a target.
Broad Street was partly closed for several hours as investigators remained in the area. The visible police presence gave neighbors and witnesses a public view of a case that authorities otherwise described through a short set of alleged acts inside a private home. The address reported by local media was 23 Broad St., where investigators were said to have responded shortly before 6 p.m. The reported location sits in a residential part of Williston Park, a Nassau County village with homes, small businesses and schools within close distance. The geography mattered to the investigation because the suspect was found nearby, not at the residence.
The charges filed against Strano reflect several different claims in the same alleged attack. Second-degree attempted murder is the most serious count and focuses on alleged intent. The two second-degree assault counts concern the physical injuries and the manner in which they were allegedly caused. Criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation centers on the choking allegation. Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon concerns the object prosecutors said was used as a weapon. Police and prosecutors have not released a full charging document in public reports, but the charges show that investigators treated the case as more than a domestic assault.
The procedural posture remains early. Strano entered a not guilty plea, and the accusations have not been proven in court. The next phase could include grand jury action, discovery, medical evidence, photographs, police reports and any recorded statements or body-camera footage collected during the response. Prosecutors may also seek testimony from the victim if her condition allows, while the defense may challenge the intent element of the attempted murder charge, the statements attributed to Strano or the sequence described by police. Court filings and future hearings are expected to clarify what evidence each side says supports its position.
The woman’s condition, the alleged use of a metal clamp and the reported statements are likely to remain central to the case. Police said the victim survived and was stable after the attack, while prosecutors described injuries that showed a severe beating. No motive had been made public by April 27, and officials had not released additional information about the relationship beyond identifying Strano as the woman’s son.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.