A Fort Lee man who was on trial for stabbing a man in 2023 avoided conviction on the more serious charges but will face prison time for aggravated assault and weapons possession.
Freddy Pina was found not guilty of attempted murder and attempted passion/provocation manslaughter. However, he was found guilty of aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury, and possession of a deadly weapon, specifically a knife.
Brian Neary, Pina’s attorney, said he was disappointed that the jury “rejected Freddy’s effort to protect a loved one in the face of danger.”
Throughout the trial, Neary argued that Pina was defending his girlfriend from Hocky Hernandez and that he acted in self-defense and in defense of others. Bergen County Assistant Prosecutor Christine Gorzelany had framed Pina’s actions as those of a jealous boyfriend.
Freddy Pina reenters the courtroom after a break during the closing arguments in an attempted murder trial of Pina in the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Pina was charged with stabbing a man in Fort Lee on Aug. 5, 2023.
Pina faces up to 10 years in state prison but Neary said he is looking to argue for a shorter sentence because of his client’s lack of criminal history.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12 before Judge Christopher Kazlau.
Hernandez also filed a lawsuit against Pina in July 2024, seeking damages for his injuries. A final judgment by default ruled in Hernendez’s favor, and said Pina had to pay $175,000.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fort Lee NJ man found guilty of aggravated assault in stabbing