Son accused of killing parents inside Long Island deli: Details

Nassau County Police detail Bethpage stabbing

Police say 30-year-old Vito Dambrosio fatally stabbed his mother and father inside their longtime Bethpage deli after arriving covered in blood.

NEW YORK - A man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing on Long Island Thursday after police say he stabbed his mother and father in the neck, killing them inside their family-owned deli.

What we know:

Nassau County police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Vito Dambrosio of Seaford. 

Detectives say the double homicide unfolded around 9:11 a.m. Thursday at the A & A Italian Deli in Bethpage.

SKIP TO: Who is Vito Dambrosio?

What happened at A&A Deli?

The backstory:

Officers were first dispatched after receiving a call about a man standing in the parking lot with blood on his hands and clothing Detective Lt. George Darienzo said.

When officers arrived, they found Dambrosio in the parking lot covered in blood. They arrested him before entering the deli, where they found his mother and father, owners of the deli, behind the counter, both stabbed in the throat.

According to police Dambrosio stabbed his mother first, then stabbed his father.

Investigators also revealed that less than 20 minutes before the killings, Dambrosio walked into a local coffee shop and slapped a female clerk on the buttocks. That incident was reported to police, and detectives say he then drove to the deli and carried out the attack.

Friends say deli owners were beloved

The couple had apparently owned the deli for decades, according to friends. 

As word spread of the couple’s deaths, members of the community gathered outside the deli, devastated by the loss of two people they described as community pillars. Dan Harper, a friend of the victims, said the couple was known for their generosity and kindness.

"They would give you the shirt off their back," Harper said. "If you didn’t have money for food, they’d say, ‘Pay me tomorrow, pay me next week.’ I’d walk in sometimes and say, ‘Man, I’ve got no money,’ and they’d just wave it off. They made great food and they were just happy-go-lucky people. I can’t see this happening. It’s awful. It’s really heartbreaking."

Who is Vito Dambrosio?

Dambrosio was out on bond for a prior domestic incident involving a sibling, and an order of protection had been in place since Nov. 14. Police say he had other past interactions with law enforcement and had recently become estranged from his parents following the November incident.

Authorities said there had also been a prior apprehension involving Dambrosio in Florida.

What's next:

He is currently hospitalized for evaluation, with a bedside arraignment expected Friday.

The investigation remains ongoing.