A Suffolk 911 operator is being credited with keeping a 6-year-old boy calm and safe after a murder-suicide in Port Jefferson Monday.

Joseph Wixted is a veteran dispatcher for various fire departments on the Island, but had only been at Suffolk 911 for four months when he received the call about the murder of Olga Sadikova by her estranged husband Alexander Astashkevich. Wixted says he focused his attention on 6-year-old Arthur after Alexander told him he was going to commit suicide.

Wixted told Arthur to lock himself in the bathroom, where he spoke to him about video games and other "kid things" for 30 minutes until police arrived. He says he was surprised about how calm and clear Arthur was after witnessing his mother's murder.

Suffolk County Family Services says a judge has awarded custody of Arthur to his father's business partner.

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