Calverton man sentenced for near-fatal stabbing

A Calverton man pleaded guilty to nearly stabbing a Riverhead man to death, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. 

Ronald Oscal Cruz, 31, of Calverton, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to assault in the first degree for stabbing a 37-year-old Riverhead man with a kitchen knife, causing severe physical injuries, including the removal of a portion of the victim’s pancreas, according to Mr. Tierney.   

“Thankfully for the quick action of the police officer here, the defendant was arrested before anyone was killed and the victim received vital emergency care,” said Mr. Tierney in a press release. “We will not tolerate such violence in Suffolk County.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions, on July 18, 2022, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Mr. Oscal Cruz stabbed the victim multiple times in the back with a large kitchen knife. 

Officials did not identified the victim.

A plainclothes police officer observed Mr. Oscal Cruz chasing the victim down Main Street in Riverhead, officials said. 

When the officer stopped Mr. Oscal Cruz, he was in possession of the kitchen knife covered in blood. 

The victim was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and underwent three surgeries to control the bleeding from the lacerations to his stomach, spleen, pancreas and colon. 

The following day, the victim nearly died while being airlifted to South Shore University Hospital for additional treatment. The victim survived after multiple hours of surgery, but part of his pancreas was removed, according to the District Attorney.