STATEN ISLAND — A man accused of abducting his 2-year-old daughter after punching his estranged wife claims he was the one who was assaulted, his lawyer said.
Johnny Woo, 45, got into an argument with his 35-year-old wife, an off-duty NYPD sergeant, about their divorce inside an Ismay Street home on Tuesday and he punched her in the stomach, according to a law enforcement source.
But his lawyer, Lou Diamond, told DNAinfo Woo's body is covered in bruises that were given to him by his wife.
"He says she hit him first," said Diamond.
Woo then took his 2-year-old daughter, Kim Woo, and fled inside his 2014 black Kia Sorrento, which prompted New York State Police to issue an Amber alert stating that the child was feared to be in "imminent danger," police said.
Kim Woo was later found after a civilian spotted the car in The Bronx and flagged down police, authorities said.
The man's wife was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in stable condition, police said.
Diamond said the mother left the home first and knew that Woo was going to take the child with him.
"The whole thing was just to jam him up," said Diamond. "She had the resources to do it."
Woo was charged with assault and harassment at his Wednesday arraignment and his bail was set at $3,000, the Staten Island District Attorney's office said.
