On October 18, Sheng Zhu Zheng was arrested in Brooklyn after evading law enforcement for eight years. This followed a violent incident that occurred in Manhattan’s Chinatown, where Zheng, at the age of 42, attacked his then-16-year-old son, Daming Zheng, during a dispute with his wife regarding financial issues. The altercation escalated when the teenager intervened to defend his mother, leading to Zheng inflicting multiple knife wounds to Daming’s head, right ear, and arm with a meat cleaver.
Zheng was initially charged and sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, he absconded while out on bail in March 2016 and subsequently became a fugitive, with authorities unsuccessfully searching for him for years. According to sources familiar with the arrest, Zheng was apprehended for “promoting gambling” prior to his capture. At the time of his arrest, he was a green card holder still in possession of a Chinese passport.
During a brief court appearance on October 23, Zheng, appearing disheveled and in handcuffs, did not speak. The judge, Gregory Carro, confirmed that Zheng must begin serving his sentence immediately. His charges include aggravated assault with a weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, intentionally causing physical harm with a weapon, and three counts of assault against a minor.
Originally from Fuzhou, Zheng worked as a deliveryman for a Chinese restaurant while his wife, Yan Fang Guo, was employed at a hair salon. The couple had three children and lived on Market Street in Chinatown at the time of the incident. Prosecutors highlighted that the escalation of violence was fueled by Zheng’s repeated demands for cash to support his gambling habits, which his wife refused out of fear of financial ruin.
Witnesses to the attack included Daming’s younger siblings, who were in the vicinity during the violence. After the assault, Daming was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered severe lacerations, particularly on his head, requiring over ten stitches. Court records indicate that Zheng faced no new charges following his recent arrest.
