A 21-year-old man from Lower Chichester has been sentenced to a prison term of 5 to 14 years for the attempted murder of his stepmother, an incident that occurred nearly two years ago. Anthony A. Mguidich, residing on the 1400 block of Tallylynn Avenue, entered an open guilty plea to one count of attempted murder last month. Under the terms of the plea agreement, all other charges were dismissed, according to Deputy District Attorney Gina Gorbey and defense attorney Charles Feeley.
The incident took place on December 18, 2023, when police were dispatched at 07:32 to respond to a report of a stabbing. Officers found the victim lying on the grass in front of 1601 Huddle Avenue, with a severe stab wound to her neck. She was covered in blood and in critical condition. Witnesses reported seeing Mguidich on a second-story roof porch, using a silver-bladed knife to stab the victim before kicking her off the roof.
Emergency responders provided immediate aid to the victim, who was transported to a local hospital, where she was intubated but ultimately survived her injuries. Mguidich was arrested at the scene, where police discovered a large silver knife and considerable amounts of blood.
No clear motive for the attack was established in the charging documents. Mguidich initially faced a $1 million cash bail and was set for a preliminary hearing in January 2024, which did not occur. Instead, he was transferred to Norristown State Hospital for evaluation and treatment in April 2024. During a status conference in September 2024, Feeley informed Common Pleas Court Judge G. Michael Green that Mguidich had regained competency.
Following a series of postponements, Mguidich waived a preliminary hearing in December 2024 and was formally arraigned in January 2025. The case culminated in a plea hearing on November 20, 2024, during which Judge Green ordered a psychiatric evaluation prior to sentencing.
In court, Mguidich expressed remorse, reading a statement in which he apologized to the victim, whom he acknowledged as his stepmother. He claimed to have no violent intentions and described his mental state leading up to the incident as a severe psychotic episode. “I love my stepmom,” he stated, noting their last interaction had been a hug before the attack. He expressed a desire to understand his actions and hoped for forgiveness.
Judge Green characterized Mguidich’s words as sincere and noted that he had acted out of a place of psychosis rather than malice. The judge recognized Mguidich’s lack of a prior criminal record and his acceptance of responsibility through an open guilty plea.
In addition to his prison sentence, Mguidich will undergo one year of reentry supervision and is prohibited from any inappropriate contact with the victim. The judge indicated he would recommend that Mguidich serve his sentence in a facility equipped to provide psychiatric care. Mguidich received credit for time served dating back to his arrest, marking a significant chapter in a case that has raised awareness about mental health issues and the complexities of criminal behavior.
