A 24-year-old man has been indicted on felony weapons charges after authorities say he was found with a loaded handgun inside a vehicle at Nissequogue State Park in Smithtown.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Miguel Enrique Astudillo Ruiz, a Salvadoran national, faces multiple charges, including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony. The indictment stems from an incident on April 4, 2026, in a restricted area of the park.
According to investigators, Smithtown Park Rangers spotted a vehicle parked outside an abandoned building at the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center site around 2 p.m. The location is off-limits to the public. While approaching the vehicle, a ranger allegedly observed spent shell casings in a cupholder between the front seats.
Authorities said Astudillo Ruiz was seen nearby collecting scrap metal from the building at the time.
A subsequent search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a loaded 9mm Taurus handgun equipped with a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Suffolk County Police later recovered a latent fingerprint from the magazine, which investigators say matched the defendant.
Astudillo Ruiz was arraigned April 17 before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins on the following charges:
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D felony
- Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a Class E felony
He was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail, $500,000 bond, or a $500,000 partially secured bond while the case proceeds.
If convicted on the top charge, Astudillo Ruiz faces up to 15 years in prison.
Federal immigration authorities have also lodged a detainer, meaning he could face deportation following the outcome of the criminal case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Major Crime Bureau. The investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Squad.
Astudillo Ruiz is scheduled to return to court on May 7, 2026. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society.
Criminal charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Photo: DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
