Man Charged With Murder In Connection With Stabbing: Stamford PD

STAMFORD, CT — A 31-year-old man who was arrested in Texas in November after more than a year on the run has been charged with murder, stemming from a fatal 2020 stabbing outside of a bar on Stillwater Avenue in Stamford, according to police.

Samuel Delfiro Zapata-Herrera, of Stamford, was arraigned in court on Dec. 22 after he was brought back to Stamford last week, Capt. Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department said.

According to the Stamford Advocate, Judge John Blawie upheld a court-set bond of $1.5 million for Zapata-Herrera. He's scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 23.

On Oct. 4, 2020, police said an officer was flagged down around 9:30 p.m. by a resident who reported seeing a man down on the sidewalk on the 100 block of Stillwater Avenue. The man, later identified as Isaias Sagastume-Aceituno, 37, of Stamford, was found with multiple stab wounds, according to police.

Stamford Emergency Medical Services administered aid to Sagastume-Aceituno, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said an investigation showed that Sagastume-Aceituno was inside Reyes Bar and Restaurant on Stillwater Avenue that night, and got into an altercation outside of the bar when he was stabbed multiple times.

Sagastume-Aceituno walked away from the bar and collapsed, police said.

Three days later, police announced that they had obtained an arrest warrant for Zapata-Herrera, but he fled soon after the incident. At the time, there was concern that Zapata-Herrera, who is undocumented, would flee to his native Guatemala.

Stamford police worked with the U.S. Marshals, who found Zapata-Herrera on the outskirts of Houston, Texas. He was arrested on Nov. 23, Conklin said.

Conklin praised the U.S. Marshals for their work in tracking down Zapata-Herrera.

RJ Scofield contributed reporting to this story