A 27-year-old Honduran national accused of fatally shooting a man behind a Huntington Station deli in broad daylight has been indicted on murder and weapons charges after authorities tracked him to Alabama while he was allegedly attempting to flee the country.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Carlos Castro was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in connection with the April 20 shooting death of Steven Rocco, 43, of Huntington Station.
Prosecutors allege the shooting occurred at approximately 4:11 p.m. behind the One Stop Deli in Huntington Station following an argument between Castro and Rocco. According to investigators, an eyewitness briefly intervened and separated the two men before the confrontation escalated.
Authorities said Castro allegedly approached Rocco moments later while armed with a handgun and shot him once, killing him before fleeing the scene on foot. The incident was captured on nearby surveillance cameras, investigators said.
“This defendant allegedly took Steven Rocco’s life in a senseless shooting captured on video surveillance,” Tierney said in a statement. “Thanks to the dedicated work of the Suffolk County Police Department and the United States Marshals Service, the defendant was arrested in Alabama and extradited back to Suffolk County where we will vigorously prosecute him for these serious charges.”
According to prosecutors, Castro allegedly changed his phone number the day after the shooting and secured approximately $3,000 from friends and family in an effort to flee the United States. Investigators said he hired a driver to transport him to Texas before authorities located and arrested him in Alabama on April 23 with assistance from the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Castro was extradited back to New York on May 4 and arraigned the following day before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei.
Justice Mazzei ordered Castro held without bail pending the case. If convicted on the top count, Castro faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Federal immigration authorities have also lodged a detainer seeking Castro’s deportation following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.