Suspect in custody in fatal Deer Park stabbing, police say

Suffolk County police arrested a suspect in the fatal stabbing of an acquaintance whose body was found in the driveway of a Deer Park home, police said.

Christopher Chavez, 21, of Deer Park, is being charged with first-degree manslaughter in the death of Marlon Velasquez, 25, of Brentwood, police said.

Velasquez’s killing is not gang-related, police said.

Velasquez and Chavez had an altercation inside Chavez’s home on Old Country Road, police said.

Chavez stabbed Velasquez, who fled the house and collapsed outside in the early morning hours of Thursday and was found later, about 1:30 p.m., police said.

Homicide Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer has said that the victim had been stabbed in the chest more than once.

Chavez will be held overnight at the First Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Saturday in First District Court in Central Islip.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.