Murder Suspect Due Back In Court At Month's End

Robert Gregory, the 19-year-old suspect charged with the stabbing death of a Holbrook man in the parking lot near Momo's Sports Bar, is due back in court on January 30, according to New York State's online court database.

Gregory, of Farmingville, has been remanded to custody since his arrest on September 26. He was charged with second degree murder and pled not guilty to the charges on October 4. Since then he has appeared in court on four separate occassions for various hearings and decisions.

According to Robert Clifford, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, these proceedings are standard and cases such as this can take up to 15 months to come to fruition.

"Most of the pre-trial time is required by the defense attorney to file motions with the court," Clifford stated in an email. "The motions almost without exception are the defense attempts at evidence suppression; to bar this office from using a statement made by a defendant at trial, to throw out a key piece of evidence, say a weapon, seized in a search warrant, etc. These motions and the judge’s decisions take time."

Calls to Gregory's defense counsel, Matthew Tuohy-of Hauppauge-based Palermo, Palermo & Tuohy-were not returned. Gregory was arrested the night after a brutal fight in the parking lot outside of Momo's on Union Avenue in Holbrook. During the melee, Julian Pena, 29, a navy veteran and the father of a 2-year-old boy, was stabbed. He was rushed to Stony Brook Medical Center where he died from his injuries. Another stabbing victim in the fight was treated and released.

Also arrested in the incident was Reuben Rosario, 28, of Selden, and Leonardo Lehman, 20, of Holtsville-both charged with gang assault for their alleged involvement in the fight. Both of their cases are still pending as well.