Saratoga County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen announces that Michael R. Zakrzewski (DOB 5/7/1977) of Day, New York was sentenced today by Acting Saratoga County Court Judge Chad W. Brown following a six week trial as follows:
Count 1: Kidnapping in the Second Degree- 20 years determinate, to be followed by 5 years post-release supervision, concurrent with counts 5 and 12 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 2: Strangulation in the Second Degree- 7 years determinate, to be followed by 5 years post-release supervision, concurrent with counts 5 and 6 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 3: Strangulation in the Second Degree- 7 years determinate, to be followed by 5 years post-release supervision, concurrent with counts 5 and 6 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 4: Criminal Contempt in the First Degree- 2 to 4 years indeterminate, as a second felony offender, consecutive to all other counts;
Count 5: Aggravated Family Offense- 2 to 4 years as a second felony offender, concurrent to counts 1, 2 and 12 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 6: Aggravated Family Offense- 2 to 4 years as a second felony offender, concurrent to counts 2 and 9 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 7: Aggravated Family Offense- 2 to 4 years as a second felony offender, concurrent to count 10 and consecutive to all other counts;
Count 8: withdrawn
Count 9: Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree- 364 days incarceration, which merge with the other felony sentences by operation of law;
Count 10: Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree- 364 days incarceration, which merge with the other felony sentences by operation of law;
Count 11: Tampering with a Witness in the Fourth Degree- 364 days incarceration, which merge with the other felony sentences by operation of law;
Count 12: Assault in the Third Degree- 364 days incarceration, which merge with the other felony sentences by operation of law;
Count 13: Unlawful Imprisonment in the Second Degree- 364 days incarceration, which merge with the other felony sentences by operation of law.
On November 30, 2020 defendant Zakrzewski became enraged that his then girlfriend had left with the car for too long. Upon her return, Zakrzewski strangled her until she lost consciousness on two separate occasions. When the victim escaped his house on foot, running in the rain through the mud, the defendant got into his vehicle using it to box her in on the edge of the dirt roadway against large boulders. The defendant then forced her into the back seat of his vehicle and drove her to an unknown, remote location where he assaulted her and held her overnight for approximately nine hours. She was eventually able to escape and thanks to the help of neighbors who allowed the victim into their home, the police and an ambulance were called. After Zakrzewski was arrested, he called the victim approximately 100 times in violation of the Order of Protection issued by the arraigning court. During these phone calls, the defendant begged the victim not to testify; to recant her statement; and to refrain from telling the police he was contacting her. He even enlisted his minor teenage son to help him violate the Order of Protection to convince the victim not to testify against him by asking to marry her and threatening that she would get in trouble for taking his vehicle the night of the incident.
The victim provided the sentencing court with a victim impact statement, in which she indicated that during her three days of testimony she was forced to look her abuser in the face and relive the nightmare over and over again. The victim noted that by providing a victim impact statement for the Court’s consideration, she demonstrated that the defendant “did not break her.”
District Attorney Karen A. Heggen noted “Defendant Zakrzewski’s actions subjected the victim to multiple, extensive and horrific crimes perpetrated by the defendant. The defendant, even after being arrested and jailed pending the trial, continued to act unlawfully to try to manipulate and threaten the victim to not testify about the crimes he perpetrated. Instead of being intimidated, the victim demonstrated inner strength to face the defendant and testify at trial about the harm he caused the victim. The jury’s verdict demonstrates they believed the victim”.
Heggen also commended the good work of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office in their significant and thorough investigation of this case. Heggen said “The good work of the members of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office provided my office with the information and evidence that proved the defendant committed these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt”.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Meghan Horton and Andreanna Diliberto, with assistance of District Attorney’s Office Investigator John N. Barney.