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Roberto Velasquez, age 32, pleaded guilty to his manslaughter charge on Wednesday, Jan. 31, according to the Nassau County District Attorney.
The incident originally occurred on March 15, 2023, in Valley Stream.
Velasquez, who is homeless, was with several other people at the 24-hour Laundry Palace, located on Merrick Road, at approximately 2:10 a.m. that day.
He and 58-year-old Michael Oliver, another homeless man spending the night at the spot, broke into an argument, the DA’s Office said.
The verbal altercation soon turned physical when Velasquez got out of his chair, picked up a duffel bag, and hit Oliver with it.
Everything in the bag tumbled out when he allegedly hit Oliver, revealing a machete.
According to the DA’s Office, Velasquez took the weapon, swinging and hitting the victim twice in the back and a third time in the leg.
While Oliver lay, bleeding profusely, Velasquez fled with the bag and machete in hand.
Oliver required emergency surgery at a local hospital, and though he initially survived, he suffered both an infection and damage to his major organs from the blood loss. He was placed on life support and died 10 days later.
Velasquez was arrested in Lynbrook later on the day of the incident.
He was charged with first-degree manslaughter, a felony.
At his sentencing, scheduled for Friday, March 15, he is expected to receive 21.5 years in prison.
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