A recent incident in Suffolk County has resulted in a significant prison sentence for the defendant, Ronald Oscal Cruz, a 31-year-old resident of Calverton, now sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to Assault in the First Degree. The charge stemmed from an incident in which Cruz stabbed a 37-year-old man from Riverhead with a kitchen knife, causing severe injuries that required the removal of a portion of the victim’s pancreas.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney expressed relief that the police were able to act swiftly, apprehending Cruz before any fatalities occurred and ensuring that the victim received immediate emergency care. He made it clear that Suffolk County will not tolerate such acts of violence.
According to court documents and Cruz’s own admissions during his guilty plea, the incident took place on the evening of July 18, 2022, at around 10:45 p.m. Cruz repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back with a large kitchen knife. During the attack, a plainclothes police officer witnessed Cruz chasing the victim down Main Street in Riverhead. The officer intervened and apprehended Cruz, who was found in possession of the blood-stained knife.
The victim was quickly transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he underwent three surgeries to address the lacerations on his stomach, spleen, pancreas, and colon. The severity of the injuries was evident when the victim’s life was endangered during an airlift to South Shore University Hospital the following day. Fortunately, after undergoing multiple hours of surgery, the victim survived, although a portion of his pancreas had to be removed.
On January 12, 2024, Oscal Cruz entered a guilty plea to the charge of Assault in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft Jr. On February 14, 2024, Justice Senft sentenced Cruz to eight and a half years in prison, along with five years of post-release supervision. Cruz was represented by John Halverson, Esq.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Keri Wasson and Tara O’Donnell of the Major Crime Bureau, with Detective Richard Freeborn from the Suffolk County Police Department providing investigative assistance. Their diligent efforts ensured that justice was served in this violent incident.
