A Bristol man who repeatedly stabbed his estranged wife in August pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempted homicide and related charges.
Walter Joseph Vandoren Jr., 44, of Bristol Township, appeared before Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley and pleaded guilty to attempted homicide, burglary, criminal trespassing, simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, and criminal mischief.
Sentencing was deferred to a later date.
Bristol Borough police were dispatched at 6 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2020 to the 200 block of Buckley Street after receiving multiple 911 calls of a domestic assault where the victim was screaming for help. When officers arrived, they found Vandoren armed with a knife and on top of his estranged wife. Officers were able to stop the attack, take Vandoren into custody and recover two knives.
The victim was bleeding profusely from multiple stabs and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.
The investigation found that the victim was separated from Vandoren for a year, and she had an active Protection from Abuse (PFA) order against him. In the days prior to the attack, Vandoren had been sending angry texts to her for about 4-5 days until she blocked his number. On Aug. 3, the victim was in her backyard with a friend when Vandoren jumped the fence.
The victim and her friend ran inside the house and locked the door, but Vandoren chased them, punched open a window and unlocked the door.