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Gelber Lopez-Perez, of Riverhead, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, Sept. 10, after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Tony Fernando Alvarado-Ajcuc.
According to prosecutors, it was around 3 p.m. on June 6, 2023, when Lopez-Perez got into an argument with one of two friends he was with at Riverhead’s Grangabel Park.
During their argument, Ajcuc walked up to the group and asked why they were fighting, leading to a physical altercation between him and Lopez-Perez.
Afterward, as Ajcuc was leaving and crossing nearby Nugent Drive, witnesses watched as Lopez-Perez chased after him into a traffic circle. He punched Ajcuc in the head and neck, knocking him to the ground.
Moments later, stabbed Ajcuc with a knife as the victim laid in a defensive posture. Ajcuc, of Riverhead, was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Following the stabbing, Lopez-Perez fled the scene. Suffolk County Police officers found him nearby roughly a half hour later after a witness provided them with a photo.
Police also found a knife in his waistband with what appeared to be blood stains on it, prosecutors said.
Lopez-Perez pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Thursday, June 27. In addition to the prison time, he was ordered to complete five years of post-release supervision.
“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 Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family, and we hope that this resolution brings them some measure of closure.”
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