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Peekskill resident Matthew Torres has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and assault earlier this year.
In addition to his time behind bars, Torres was also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.
Torres had faced up to 25 years in prison.
Rocah said that a dispute that started through social media involving several people led to them making a plan to fight in person on Nov. 28 last year.
The nature of the initial argument between the groups online has never been released.
According to Rocah, Torres and the others met at the China Pier in Peekskill, where the fight began. During the course of the fight, Torres, who was 17 years old at the time, stabbed area resident Joaquin Salazar multiple times and Alexis Leon once before fleeing the scene on foot.
Salazar was treated and died as a result of the injuries sustained during the fight at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.
Leon was taken to an area hospital for treatment, where he underwent surgery.
Torres was taken into custody following the investigation into the stabbing by New York State Police and the Peekskill Police Department.
“This was a horrible tragedy and we mourn the loss of Joaquin Salazar, whose young life was taken far too early. Our hearts break for his family, loved ones, and the entire Peekskill community,” Rocah said. “Speaking with parents who have lost a child due to crime is one of the hardest things I do as a mother and as District Attorney.
"This tragedy shattered so many young lives, including the defendant’s, in an instant," she continued. "There must be accountability, and we must also work together as a community to ensure that disputes amongst young people do not end with death.”
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