Joaquin Orantes Franco, a 42-year-old resident of Brentwood, has been indicted on charges including Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Reckless Endangerment. The indictment follows an alleged incident where he reportedly fired into a Central Islip home occupied by his girlfriend and her family after she declined to move in with him.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney commented on the severity of the case: "The allegations in this case represent an egregious act of domestic violence that put innocent lives at risk. Our office takes acts of domestic violence extremely seriously, particularly those involving firearms and the endangerment of children."
The incident occurred on October 20, 2024, when the victim was visiting her parents' home along with her two children. During their visit, several family members, including at least five children, were present. They heard a loud bang from outside. A bullet had penetrated through multiple walls, a television, and narrowly missed one adult who was watching TV at the time.
Home surveillance footage allegedly showed that the shot originated from Orantes Franco's truck before it drove away. Following this event, police located Orantes Franco and seized a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with a high-capacity magazine containing a live cartridge jammed in the chamber.
A search of Orantes Franco’s truck led to the discovery of both a live pistol cartridge and an expended cartridge casing. The weapon was examined and found to be unserialized.