A 21-year-old man has will spend a significant amount of time in prison after fatally stabbing a man in the Broadway-Bailey neighborhood. Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced that the Buffalo man was sentenced before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi to 18 years to life behind bars. Mikel Ayala pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in the Second Degree on February 22, 2022.

His co-defendant, 21-year-old Troy K. Holman of Buffalo, is still out on $500,000 cash, bond, or partially secured bond. Holman's case is pending. His pre-trial hearing is currently scheduled for Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 2:00 pm.

On Saturday, May 15, 2021, at approximately 9:44 am, Ayala was involved in the fatal attack of the 35-year-old victim. Tomas Sanchez, was stabbed multiple times during an argument with the two defendants. The deadly incident took place in of a home on Ashley Street in Buffalo. Sanchez was transported to Erie County Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

There were 67 homicides in Buffalo in 2021, according to WKBW Channel 7.

There were 44 homicides in all of 2019, a record low for the City of Buffalo compared to 46 homicides in the first six months of 2021.

A special task force was created to help stop the violence. The Violence Prevention and Elimination Response (VIPER) Task Force is an effort of federal, state, and local law enforcement. Within the first two weeks of its creation in July of 2021, the task force made 138 arrests:

- Firearm Related Arrests - 45
- Narcotics Related Arrests - 45
- Violent Felony Arrests - 38
- Total Illegal Firearms Seized - 22
- Defendants Adopted for Federal Prosecution - 15 (with 21 additional defendants currently under review for federal prosecution).

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