ISLAND PARK, N.Y. — A Long Island man is behind bars after allegedly embarking on a violent stabbing spree that left two women dead, including a co-worker at a local Wendy’s and a second woman found in their shared home.
Nassau County police identified the suspect as Rony Alvarenga Rivera, an El Salvador native who reportedly lived in a multi-room rental house with both victims. He now faces multiple counts of murder following his arrest near a Lynbrook 7-Eleven on Friday morning.
The investigation began just after midnight on Friday when officers responded to a report of a person with a knife at a Wendy’s in Island Park. Upon arrival, they discovered 42-year-old Ana Maria Del Aguila Cordova suffering from multiple stab wounds to her neck and torso while she was reportedly taking out the trash during her late-shift. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
While processing the restaurant crime scene, investigators utilized surveillance footage to identify a suspect. When officers located Alvarenga Rivera shortly after, he reportedly told them “he had killed somebody that night,” leading to his immediate arrest.
Information gathered during the arrest led police to a home on West Mineola Avenue in Valley Stream for a wellness check. Inside, they found a 32-year-old woman deceased from similar stab wounds. Authorities believe she was killed around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, hours before the attack at the Wendy’s.
The violence has rattled the normally quiet Island Park community. Family members described Cordova, a mother of two, as a “good person” who had worked at the restaurant for several years and had no known enemies.
“We want justice, because this is insane,” her niece, Maria Soto, told reporters.
In a statement, a Wendy’s spokesperson expressed deep sadness over the “tragic incident” and emphasized that the safety of employees remains their top priority as they support their team through the recovery.
The case has also entered the political arena, with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman citing the suspect’s 2016 entry into the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor while criticizing past immigration policies.
Alvarenga Rivera is currently held in custody. He is expected to be arraigned this weekend as the Nassau County District Attorney’s office moves forward with formal murder charges
