Arrest made in Sunday morning stabbing in Orchard Park

Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - A 31-year-old man has been arrested by Orchard Park Police in connection with the stabbing of his boyfriend. Police say it was an argument early Sunday morning that led to the incident.

Orchard Park Police Chief Patrick Fitzgerald says officers received a 9-1-1 call at around 2:30 a.m. ET Sunday from an 19-year-old male stating he had been stabbed.

"He said he had gotten into an argument with his boyfriend and that he was bleeding," said Chief Fitzgerald in an interview with WBEN. "Officers did respond to the apartment complex on South Buffalo Street, where he resided, where he said he was. They did locate him, he showed them a head wound that he had sustained from, what he described as, a knife attack, and he told him that his boyfriend had stabbed him with a kitchen knife."

Fitzgerald says it didn't take officers long to find the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Jake Diaz.

"Some of the officers that were there did observe a male walking out from around behind the apartment complex, coming towards them. They were able to give him clear directions, and he was taken into custody without any sort of further incident," Fitzgerald described.

Diaz was residing in the apartment with the 19-year-old victim. He was taken into custody and returned to the Orchard Park Police Department for processing. He is facing three charges as a result of this incident:

- Assault in the Second Degree (Class "D" felony);
- Menacing and the Second Degree (Class "A" misdemeanor);
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree (Class "A" misdemeanor).

Diaz was released on his own recognizance, and an order of protection was issued by the judge prohibiting contact between the offender and the victim. He will face those charges in courts on a future date.

As for the victim, he was transported by Orchard Park EMS ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries.

Fitzgerald says cases like this are rare in Orchard Park.

"We do oftentimes see an uptick in domestic violence, especially around the holidays. We certainly saw it during COVID while people were home, but it is rare," he said. "In this case, there were no life-threatening injuries involved, but it's certainly a reminder, especially for police officers, that edge weapons are found in pretty much every home. Anyone could be armed at any time - in this case, the male was taken into custody without incident - but what was a simple incident, as far as making the arrest, certainly demonstrates what could have been worse, if handled differently."