A St. John’s lacrosse player was arrested Wednesday and accused of stabbing a former teammate in the stomach inside the off-campus house they shared, police and court officials told the Torch.
Matthew Stockfeder, a 21-year-old senior midfielder for the Red Storm, was charged with a felony assault with a weapon stemming from the alleged stabbing that occurred at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday at a house on 172nd Street, police said.
The news was first reported by the New York Daily News.
St. John’s University spokesperson Brian Browne said in a statement, “The University is aware of an incident involving a student and an alum that occured at an off-campus location, not owned by the University and is fully cooperating with the investigation by law enforcement officials.”
Stockfeder was charged with two counts of assault in the second degree, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the Torch from the Queens District Attorney’s office. He was arraigned Wednesday and his next court date is set for Dec. 5.
According to the criminal complaint, Stockfeder and roommate Justin Corpolongo, 23, were involved in a verbal altercation that became physical. The complaint says Corpolongo allegedly held Stockfeder’s head down, leading Stockfeder to face Corpolongo’s stomach.
Corpolongo “then felt a sharp pain to his abdomen, and looked down to see that he was bleeding profusely,” the complaint said.
Corpolongo, 23, was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital where the complaint says he was “treated for a puncture wound on the left side of his abdomen that penetrated his small intestine and continued approximately four to five inches deep into his abdomen.”
Stockfeder’s attorney, Anthony Como, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Torch.
Stockfeder, a senior midfielder from Melville on Long Island, was named to the Big East All-Academic team in 2018 as a sophomore. Last season, Stockfeder recorded his first goal in the Red Storm’s home opener against Rutgers on Feb. 9.
Corpolongo, who graduated last year, was named to the Big-East All-Academic team in his first three years at St. John’s.
Both Stockfeder’s and Corpolongo’s name and bios are no longer listed on the Red Storm’s men’s lacrosse website as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
This is a developing story.
