“This house is a problem for us. There have been multiple calls down here for various issues and some drug activity,” said Boston Police Superintendent Bernard O’Rourke. “We’ve looked at this on many occasions as to what we can do to stop that, but this is a very active address.”

Police said the man was stabbed multiple times in the torso after confronting another man outside a Paris Street home, which police said was known for drug activity.

A man in his 20s was fatally stabbed in a street fight in East Boston just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

After the stabbing, a man was seen in a red car driving away from Paris Street, O’Rourke said. He asked any witnesses to contact authorities.


“Anybody that saw anything, please, please give us a call to help us out,” O’Rourke said.

Authorities did not name the victim pending the notification of his family. But his aunt, Adahma Lucas, identified him as Gage Lucas-Smith, and said he leaves a young daughter. She declined to comment further.

The owner of the property, Joseph Cahill, said he saw the stabbing but did not want to discuss it.

The city said more than $63,000 in real estate taxes are owed on the residence, which was listed in records from January as the sole property in East Boston under review by the city’s Problem Property Task Force.

Residents said there are often fights and people drinking at the home.

“It’s always been a problem,” a neighbor said. “Always.”

A 15-year-old boy who lives nearby said his parents saw the fatal confrontation as they were getting ready to leave for work.

“It’s definitely a shock to them,” he said.

Diana Salas, who walked by the crime scene, said there’s too much violence in the area.

“It feels like it’s becoming too common,” she said. “I feel like every other week we hear of a stabbing or shooting.”


Antonio Arevalo said he organizes weekly peace walks in the neighborhood, including one that passed the stabbing scene Tuesday night.

“I’m shocked. I’m really shocked,” he said. “We just did the peace walk.”

The man is the fourth person murdered in East Boston this year, police said. Last year, no homicides were reported in the area through mid-July, according to police records.

Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauracrimaldi.