RIVERHEAD MAN SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MANSLAUGHTER

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Gelber Lopez Perez, 20, of Riverhead, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree, for fatally stabbing Tony Fernando Alvarado Ajcuc, 26, also of Riverhead, near a busy traffic circle in Riverhead on a weekday afternoon.

“This defendant took a life in a brazen act of violence that occurred in full view of our community. Violence like this is unacceptable,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family, and we hope that this resolution brings them some measure of closure.”

As established by the investigation and guilty plea allocution, on June 6, 2023, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Lopez Perez was in Grangabel Park in Riverhead, arguing with a friend. When the victim arrived at the park, he asked Lopez Perez and his friend why they were arguing. Lopez Perez and the victim then got into a physical altercation.

After the altercation, the victim left the park on foot, crossed four lanes of traffic on Nugent Drive, and headed toward a nearby traffic circle.

Lopez Perez ran after the victim and knocked him to the ground. As the victim laid on the ground in a defensive posture, Lopez Perez stabbed him with a knife. He then fled back toward the park.

An eyewitness took a photograph of Lopez Perez as he ran from the scene, which was later provided to the police. The victim was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.

Less than a half hour later, police found and arrested Lopez Perez near Court Street and Griffing Avenue, a short distance from where the homicide occurred. Police also recovered the knife from Lopez Perez’s waistband that still had blood stains on it.

On June 27, 2024, Lopez Perez pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree before Acting Supreme Court Justice Stephen L. Braslow.

On September 10, 2024, Judge Braslow sentenced Lopez Perez to 22 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He was represented by Ian Fitzgerald, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty of the Homicide Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Suffolk County Police Department Detective Michael Ronca of the Homicide Squad.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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