Huntington man sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatal roadside stabbing

A Huntington Station man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for stabbing a friend to death and then "slashing and stabbing" the victim's wife when she tried to intervene, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. 

Candelario Cordova, 54, pleaded guilty in May to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted murder for the February 2023 attack outside the West Hills-area home of Roque Cisneros, 58.

Cordova killed Cisneros before turning the knife on the victim's wife, Vilma Campos Esperanza, who survived the stabbing.

Cordova faces 5 years of post-release supervision in addition to the prison sentence, Tierney said in a news release. The 3-decade sentence reflected "the severity of his heinous actions," he said.

"By fatally stabbing Mr. Cisneros and then attempting to take the life of the victim’s wife who bravely tried to intervene," Tierney said, "he demonstrated a complete disregard for human life and the safety of our community."

Cordova's Huntington-based defense attorney, Matthew B. Tuohy, said the killing was a "crime of passion" his client regretted, and that he had "snapped" due to problems in his marriage. Tuohy said it was an "emotional" court proceeding, which was attended by Campos Esperanza.

Authorities said on Feb. 16, 2023, Cordova and Cisneros, who were described as friends and co-workers, were seated in Cordova’s 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee outside Cisneros’ home. Prosecutors said Campos Esperanza watched the two men argue inside the vehicle through a kitchen window of the home near the border of West Hills and Huntington Station.

As she came to her husband’s aid, Cordova "sped away," with Cisneros still in the passenger seat, prosecutors said.

Cisneros’ wife got in her car and pursued the Jeep, authorities said.

Cordova stopped on nearby Oakwood Road where, prosecutors said, Campos Esperanza witnessed him retrieve a knife from the trunk and approach Cisneros on the passenger side. 

"I saw . . . [Cordova] stab [my husband] in his stomach repeatedly and then sliced his neck," she told police, according to the charging document.

Newsday previously reported prosecutors said Campos Esperanza "bear hugged" Cordova in an effort to stop the attack. Cordova then began "slashing and stabbing" Campos Esperanza,  according to the news release.

Multiple passersby stopped their vehicles and intervened in the attack, authorities said. They successfully subdued Cordova until Suffolk County police officers arrived at the scene. The knife used during the attack was recovered at the scene, authorities said.

On May 14, Cordova pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted murder before Judge John B. Collins. Collins sentenced Cordova in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead on Wednesday.