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A man was stabbed to death in the South Ward early this morning - marking the city's fifth homicide in five days, authorities say.

(Star-Ledger file photo)

Editor's note: The death of Larry Alston was previously reported by authorities to be the 59th killing - however, it has since been counted as the 58th in Newark so far this year.

NEWARK — A city man was killed on a South Ward street early this morning, extending this week's rash of deadly violence.

The death of Larry Alston, 57, is the fifth in five days in the state’s largest city, said Kathy Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Alston, whose death is believed to be the result of an assault during a robbery, was attacked on the 200 block of Lehigh Avenue, around the corner from Newark Beth Israel Hospital – and just a block west of where a bodega manager was shot and killed Friday morning, Carter said.

Alston and one or more suspects were involved in a confrontation about 1 a.m., Carter said. The victim was pronounced dead at 1:45 a.m., she added.

His death is the city’s 58th homicide so far this year – and marks the fifth killing in five days. The string of violent deaths started after more than two weeks without a deadly confrontation, authorities said. Four of those five killings happened in the city's South Ward.

Late last summer, a succession of homicides extended 10 days, from August into September. The city's homicide total for all of last year was 111 – making it the deadliest year since 1990.

Earlier this year the New Jersey State Police and local authorities announced an anti-violence partnership, including increased patrols in response to the increased violence.

Officials said the latest killings are gang-related — and police are attempting to crack down on the city's drug trade to stop the violence.

"The recent spate of violence in the City of Newark is not the result of random incidents, but targeted attacks and retaliation against members of rival drug gangs," Police Director Eugene Venable said in a statement last night.

"We have increased manpower on an overtime basis throughout the city in certain concentrated areas where narcotics sales are prevalent, (and are) conducting roundup operations for narcotics dealers. ... We are also reaching out to the community by conducting our pedestrian walks in all of the areas experiencing violence," the police director added.

Jessica Mazzola contributed to this report.

