East Rockaway man threatened to kill wife at Cohen Children's Medical Center, officials say

An East Rockaway man was charged Thursday after prosecutors said he pulled out a gun and threatened to kill his estranged wife while she held their young child at Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens.

NYPD officers said Thomas Saxton, 34, whose child was hospitalized, was arguing with his wife inside the hospital when hospital officials called 911 just after noon Thursday. Police said several witnesses heard him threatening to kill his wife.

Queens prosecutors said, "Saxton...threatened his wife as she held their two-year-old child in her arms," as part of allegations listed in a 14-count criminal complaint.

"Saxton allegedly said that he would kill her in front of all the people there," according to a statement from the Queens district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said Saxton walked out of the 76th Avenue medical facility in Glen Oaks, Queens, and then called his wife and threatened her again, stating that, "he would kill her in her sleep."

Police found Saxton’s car outside the hospital and confronted him, at which point he dropped a loaded magazine, prosecutors said. Police searched him and found two loaded handguns, known as "ghost guns," that were untraceable by police. He was also found with a bag of cocaine in his wallet, prosecutors said.

"This defendant allegedly threatened to shoot his wife in a hospital that specializes in treating children," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. "This potentially deadly threat was made all the more frightening when police found illegal and untraceable firearms on the defendant."

Police later served a search warrant at Saxton's East Rockaway home, where they said they recovered "a cache of firearms, ammo, magazines and ballistic vests."

Saxton was charged with criminal weapons possession, criminal possession of ammunition, two counts of menacing, two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, two counts of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Saxton was arraigned Friday in Queens Criminal Court, where he was ordered held without bail. His defense attorney with Queens Legal Aid could not be reached for comment Saturday.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.