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