The brutal Nov 2022 stabbing murder of 40-year-old Ernest Diaz by his 56-year-old boyfriend Vito Bauza left behind grieving children and revealed a complicated romantic history. Diaz was killed in Bauza’s Brooklyn apt after showing up wearing a coat from his new girlfriend.
Bauza was charged with murder as prosecutors refute claims it was a passion-fueled aberration. Diaz’s death shocked his separated wife, longtime girlfriend who he had 3 kids with, and others. A fundraiser aims to support his children after the devastating loss of their father.
- 40-year-old Ernest Diaz was stabbed to death on November 26, 2022 in the apartment of his 56-year-old boyfriend Vito Bauza in Brooklyn, New York.
- Diaz and Bauza had been in a long-term relationship for over 20 years, with Bauza serving as a godfather to Diaz’s three children.
- Bauza confessed to police that he stabbed Diaz multiple times after Diaz “pissed him off.” It appears jealousy was the motive, as Diaz had recently started seeing a new girlfriend he met while working as a bouncer at a strip club.
- The new girlfriend had bought Diaz a new coat, which seemed to enrage Bauza when Diaz showed up wearing it. There was also a dispute over money before the fatal stabbing.
- Diaz attempted to flee after being stabbed but Bauza hit him in the head and stabbed him again in the apartment lobby. Diaz died at the hospital shortly after.
- Bauza, 56, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He is being held without bail.
- Diaz left behind his longtime girlfriend and their three young children. A fundraiser has been started to help cover funeral costs and support the children.
Man Stabbed to Death in Brooklyn Apartment After Long-Term Relationship Sours
On November 26th, 2022, 40-year-old Ernest Diaz was viciously stabbed to death in the Brooklyn apartment of his boyfriend of over 20 years, 56-year-old Vito Bauza. The brutal murder followed a turbulent period in Diaz’s romantic life.
Diaz left behind his longtime girlfriend in Queens and their three young children. He had recently begun a new relationship with a woman he met while working as a bouncer at a strip club. She had bought him a new coat, which he was wearing when he showed up at Bauza’s apartment.
Diaz also had a years-long relationship with 80-year-old Hank Harjo after the two met around 2005. Harjo considered Diaz like a son and was close to his children. But Harjo and others were unaware of Diaz’s romantic entanglements that preceded the deadly attack.
“This is shocking,” said Harjo about the murder. “I never think people who love him would do something like that. This is psycho — like the movie ‘Psycho’ by Albert Hitchcock.”
Fatal Attack Driven by Jealous Rage
Bauza later confessed to police that he stabbed Diaz multiple times in a fit of jealous rage after Diaz “pissed him off.” Sources say the two argued about money before the attack.
It appears Diaz was attempting to break things off with Bauza to pursue a relationship with his new girlfriend. Bauza brutally lashed out when Diaz arrived wearing the coat she had gifted him.
“Yeah, he pissed me off,” Bauza told cops about the motive. “So I took a knife and I stabbed him.”
The attack started in the apartment before spilling into the lobby in a chaotic scene. Neighbor Patricia Sacco said, “I never saw that much blood in my life,” referring to the aftermath.
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Surveillance footage shows Bauza smacking Diaz in the head before stabbing him again when he tried to escape. Diaz was rushed to the hospital after collapsing outside covered in blood. He died shortly before 3pm that day.
Bauza was arrested the next day and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He is being held without bail. His lawyer called it an “aberration” and “out of character.”
Diaz’s sudden death left his girlfriend and three children reeling. A fundraiser has been started to help cover funeral costs and support the children after the loss of their father.
Why Ernest Diaz was stabbed?
According to reports from the New York Daily News, 40-year-old Ernest Diaz was stabbed to death by his boyfriend of over 20 years, 56-year-old Vito Bauza, in a fit of jealous rage. The brutal murder took place in Bauza’s Brooklyn apartment the day after Thanksgiving.
Diaz and Bauza had an unorthodox decades-long arrangement where Bauza served as godfather to Diaz’s three children and helped support Diaz financially. Bauza came from an affluent family while Diaz worked as a security guard.
This summer, Diaz took a job as an undercover bouncer at a strip club to earn extra money to support his kids. That’s when things took a turn. Diaz met and started a relationship with a woman at the club who bought him a new coat.
When Diaz showed up at Bauza’s apartment wearing the new coat from his girlfriend, it appeared to trigger Bauza’s jealousy and rage. After over 20 years together, Bauza allegedly couldn’t handle Diaz becoming involved with someone else.
Vito Bauza – Suspect and Charges
The suspect in 40-year-old Ernest Diaz’s brutal murder is his boyfriend of over 20 years, 56-year-old Vito Bauza. After initially fleeing the crime scene, Bauza later turned himself in to police on November 27th.
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Upon surrendering, Bauza was arrested and charged by authorities with murder and criminal possession of a firearm in the death of his long-term partner.
Bauza surrendered the day after the deadly stabbing attack. He is currently being held without bail and scheduled to appear in court again on December 3rd.
Murder Suspect Held Without Bail, Faces Trial Next Month
At his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court, 56-year-old murder suspect Vito Bauza was ordered to be held without bail by Judge Edgar Walker. He is scheduled to appear again in court on December 3rd to face charges for the brutal killing of his boyfriend, 40-year-old Ernest Diaz.
Bauza’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, spoke briefly outside the courthouse and contended the murder was completely “out of character” for his client. Aidala stated Bauza had known the victim intimately “for a very, very long time” in an attempt to paint the crime as a passion-filled aberration.
When later approached by reporters, Aidala declined to answer further questions about the high-profile homicide case. It seems the defense will argue Bauza simply snapped in a heated moment and that the violence was unusual for him.
Bauza’s family members accompanied him to court in a show of support. His aunt referred to him as “a good person”, defending her nephew against the allegations.
Regardless of the defense claims about his past character, prosecutors are moving ahead with the most serious charges against Bauza.
They appear ready to refute claims that the sustained knife attack resulting in Diaz’s death was merely an impulsive mistake. Bauza seems poised to stand trial for intentionally murdering his domestic partner of over 20 years.
Ernest Diaz’s wife and Family
Ernest Diaz, the 40-year-old murder victim, had a complicated romantic history that included both a wife and a longtime girlfriend. He was a father of three children who are now left grieving after his tragic death.
Diaz was legally married, although the identity of his wife remains unknown. It appears they were estranged or separated at the time of the fatal stabbing.
Diaz had been in a long-term relationship with a girlfriend in Queens. While not married, they had three children together over the years. This girlfriend and the children have been left shocked and devastated by Diaz’s sudden violent murder.
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In the aftermath, the girlfriend is now faced with grieving and supporting three kids alone. Diaz’s sister has started a fundraiser to help provide funeral costs and financial support for the children.
The fundraiser aims to give some holiday blessings and birthday gifts to the young children, as they deal with losing their father right before the winter holidays.
Diaz also left behind his mother and two brothers, who are mourning his tragic passing along with his girlfriend and kids.
In the aftermath of their father’s tragic murder, Diaz’s sister has started a fundraiser to support his three grieving children. As of Monday, it has raised $1,705 toward a $10,000 goal.
