NASSAU COUNTY (PIX11) – Nassau County police say they have solved a murder that shocked a quiet neighborhood two months ago.
People were awakened by a car crash shortly after midnight. Gunshots followed the collision, and a man fell dead. Now, police say they have two of the killers in custody.
According to Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick, Commanding Officer of Nassau County Homicide, this was a targeted shooting. The alleged killers, he said, went after the victim because they believed he ripped them off in an unspecified deal.
Anderson Ramirez, 34, and 27-year-old Alex DeLarosa, two Long Islanders, were arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead on second-degree murder and robbery charges.
They're being held for the September killing of Yinauri Taveras, who was visiting relatives in Nassau County. Police say the defendants caught up with Taveras after he exited the Southern State Parkway at Wantagh Avenue.
"This was a targeted event,” Fitzpatrick declared. "They followed him to that location and rear-ended his car, he continued, adding, “When he got out to check the damage, they attempted to rob him and shot him."
Police are asking the public for help in finding Johnny Flaco Rodriquez, who they claim was involved in the shooting. Two other unnamed individuals are being sought on lesser charges. Police say the murder is not gang-related, nor do they believe it's connected to any drug deals.
Fitzpatrick noted, "There was a past transaction between the two of them and a perception of being ripped off by him. They appear to have acted out of revenge or retribution to get property back from him in a deal in which they felt they had been ripped off."
As the search for the third suspect continued, Ramirez and DeLarosa pleaded not guilty during their arraignment.
They’re being held without bail pending their next court appearance on December 9.
