A 65-year-old man remains hospitalized with serious injuries after being stabbed in the neck inside the basement of First United Methodist Church in Amityville on Friday night, and the man accused of attacking him pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Saturday. Suffolk County police say the victim was attacked around 8:30 p.m. inside the church basement at 25 Broadway, though what sparked the violence remains unknown.
Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives tracked down and arrested 33-year-old Daniel Escobar on Ackerson Boulevard in Bay Shore at 10:22 p.m. Friday, roughly two hours after the stabbing, according to Long Island Life and Politics. Police say Escobar fled the scene on foot before he was apprehended in the neighboring town. He was held overnight at the First Precinct before being arraigned Saturday in Central Islip's First District Court.
Not Guilty Plea and a $150,000 Bail
Judge Mary Catherine Mullen arraigned Escobar on a charge of first-degree assault, setting bail at $150,000 cash, $300,000 insured bond, or $500,000 partially secured bond, according to Newsday. Escobar pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney, Danielle Papa, told the outlet that she believed the gathering taking place in the church basement at the time of the attack was a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, and added that her client deserves the presumption of innocence.
That detail fills in a gap that Suffolk County police had not initially addressed publicly. According to Patch, police confirmed the victim was a 65-year-old man attacked inside the church basement, though his identity has been withheld by authorities. As of Saturday, the station's report notes investigators had not disclosed what prompted the confrontation between Escobar and the victim.
Victim Still Hospitalized as Motive Stays Unclear
News 12 Long Island reported Saturday that the victim remained hospitalized with serious injuries, with investigators still working to determine what triggered the encounter. ABC7 New York, which first reported on the stabbing, similarly noted the motive remains unknown, per Eyewitness News.
The Suffolk County Police Department's First Squad is handling the investigation. Per Daily Voice, the squad is investigating the stabbing.
A Historic Church, and a Serious Charge
First United Methodist Church at 25 Broadway was originally dedicated in July 1892 and has long served as a historic local landmark, hosting community gatherings, farmers markets, and civic services, according to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
Escobar's first-degree assault charge is cited under New York Penal Law § 120.10, according to NYS Open Legislation.
The Investigation in Amityville
The stabbing is the focus of the First Squad's investigation in Amityville. The available reports do not provide details of any other recent violent incident in the village.
The available reports do not provide details of any Suffolk County contract for acoustic gunshot sensors. Hoodline previously reported on a Flock Safety gunshot deal, but the reports do not establish its planned coverage area. It remains unclear whether any acoustic-sensor system played a role in Friday's response, and the available reports do not address how the stabbing was reported.
