Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.
Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.

Port Jefferson couple sentenced for fatal stabbing on Greenway Trail

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — A Port Jefferson Station couple was sentenced this week for their roles in the fatal stabbing of a 39-year-old man on the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail in 2021, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced.

Jose Martinez-Vazquez, 25, received a sentence of 20 years to life for the murder of Benjamin Flores-Mendez, while his girlfriend, Tiffany Diaz-Cabrera, 21, was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter after acting as a lookout during the attack.

Martinez-Vazquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 25, admitting to fatally stabbing Flores-Mendez multiple times on June 17, 2021, as the victim entered the trail. Diaz-Cabrera, who admitted to being a lookout during the attack, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on April 22. Both were arrested in March 2023 following a Suffolk County Police Department investigation.

Port jefferson couple sentenced for fatal stabbing on greenway trail

“The lengthy prison terms handed down to both defendants reflect the severity of their actions and our commitment to public safety,” Tierney said in a statement. He added that the attack “shook our citizens to the core.”

Martinez-Vazquez was sentenced on August 28, 2024, while Diaz-Cabrera was sentenced on October 7, 2024. Both sentences include post-release supervision.

Port jefferson couple sentenced for fatal stabbing on greenway trail

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro and Tara Laterza, with the investigation led by Suffolk County Detective James Hughes.

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