Mastic road rage dispute turns violent, police arrest local man

A road-rage argument on Ditmas Avenue in Mastic escalated into a neck stabbing Tuesday morning, leaving a 71-year-old man with non-life-threatening injuries and sending police to arrest a 25-year-old Mastic man hours later.

Suffolk County police identified the suspect as Jeremiah Giraud, of 129 Patchogue Ave. in Mastic, and said he was charged with second-degree assault. Police said the confrontation began at about 9:10 a.m. as a driver and a passenger in a 2005 Nissan were traveling on Ditmas Avenue.

According to police, both vehicles pulled over before the men got out and exchanged words. Giraud then stabbed the victim with a knife in the neck, police said. After the attack, the Nissan drove west on Ditmas Avenue, leaving the scene with the wounded man.

A police radio broadcast helped lead Seventh Precinct units to the suspect vehicle. Police said Giraud was found and arrested at about 10:45 a.m. in the parking lot of the Family Dollar at 1600 Montauk Highway in Mastic. He was held overnight at the Seventh Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, May 20, in First District Court in Central Islip.

The victim, a 71-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries police described as non-life-threatening. The case underscores how quickly a roadside dispute can turn into a violent felony, especially when a weapon is involved and tempers are already high.

The Mastic arrest also fits a broader pattern Suffolk police have faced in recent months. In a separate road-rage stabbing in Huntington on Nov. 18, 2025, police said a driver was stabbed with a boxcutter and a suspect was arrested after a physical confrontation. Together, the cases show that aggressive driving can spill far beyond damaged egos or traffic delays and into emergency rooms and criminal court.

Suffolk County police say the numbers they publish through their crime statistics are based on New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Uniform Crime Reporting guidelines, and that the figures are preliminary and can be revised as cases are reclassified.