A Honduran national has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Huntington Station man behind a local deli, Suffolk County prosecutors said Tuesday.
Carlos Castro, 27, is charged with Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in connection with the April 20 killing of Steven Rocco, 43, of Huntington Station.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the shooting occurred at approximately 4:11 p.m. behind the One Stop Deli. Authorities said Castro and Rocco became involved in an argument before an eyewitness briefly separated them. Moments later, Castro allegedly approached Rocco with a handgun and shot him once, killing him. Investigators said the incident was captured on nearby surveillance video.
Prosecutors allege Castro fled the scene on foot and took steps the following day to leave the country. Authorities said he changed his phone number, obtained about $3,000 from friends and family, and hired a driver to take him to Texas.
With assistance from the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Castro was arrested in Alabama on April 23. He was extradited to New York on May 4.
Castro was arraigned May 5 before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, who ordered him held without bail pending the case. He is due back in court on June 15.
If convicted of the top charge, Castro faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Federal immigration authorities have lodged a detainer seeking his deportation following the conclusion of the criminal case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Bureau. Authorities emphasized that the charges are accusations and Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
