A domestic dispute in Mastic Monday morning left a mother of three dead, police say, and the children's father in custody.
Police say Kenneth Smith, 32, stabbed Krystal Nash, 28, in her home at 74 Patchogue Ave. around 7:30 a.m. Their three children, aged 10, 7 and 4, were in the house at the time.
Police say a relative called 911. First responders took Nash to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities say homicide detectives later found Smith in Nash's car on Thrasher Drive in Bellport. They arrested him and charged him with second-degree murder.
None of the children were hurt.
After police cleared the scene, people returned to the home but declined to speak with News 12.
Neighbors say such incidents are common in the area.
"Let's be honest -- we're in Mastic," said Michelle Serino, a survivor of domestic violence. "You're in such fear of leaving because you think they're going to kill you for leaving -- and in fact look what happens when you stay."
She wasn't the only one who called news of a stabbing death unsurprising in the neighborhood.
"It's honestly sad, but it's just something that happens around here too often," said Robert Link, also of Mastic. "I'm kind of used to it, which is kind of messed up."
Investigators closed Patchogue Avenue between Hawthorne and Madison streets for more than 12 hours.