'Brutal Murder': LI Man Indicted After Fatally Shooting Roommate: DA

BAY SHORE, NY — A Long Island man was indicted for murder on Thursday after fatally shooting a man in his Bay Shore home in April, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

Darwin Josue Maldonado Vanegas, 31, of Bay Shore, was indicted for second-degree murder in and other related charges for fatally shooting 24-year-old Daniel Nunez-Hernandez in April 2025, the DA said.

"This defendant allegedly executed Daniel Nunez-Hernandez and then thought he could flee Suffolk County to avoid culpability, but he was clearly wrong," Tierney said. "Due to the great investigative work done by the Suffolk County Police Department and our law enforcement partners in Atlantic City and Miami-Dade, we were able to apprehend and charge the defendant with this brutal murder."

According to the investigation, on April 3, around 11:20 p.m., Suffolk County police responded to a home in Bay Shore where they discovered the victim’s body, the DA said. Officers saw the victim had gunshot wounds to his chest and arm, found two 9mm shell casings near his body and he was pronounced dead at the scene, the DA said.

During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Maldonado Vanegas and the victim were allegedly renting separate rooms in the same house. Witnesses heard two gunshots coming from the basement of the home earlier that morning and later that day, when the other tenants in the home returned from work, they discovered the victim’s body on a couch in the basement, the DA said.

Records revealed that Vanegas Maldonado had allegedly been present at the incident location earlier in the day, around the same time that the gunshots were heard, the DA said. Additionally, a large capacity ammunition feeding device loaded with 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition was allegedly recovered between the mattress and box spring of Maldonado Vanegas’ bed, the DA said.

Accoridng to the investigation, after the murder, Maldonado Vanegas allegedly fled New York and withdrew a substantial amount of money from his bank account, the DA said. While in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Maldonado Vanegas allegedly discontinued using his cell phone and obtained a second cellphone, the DA said.

He then allegedly fled to Miami, Florida, where he was apprehended on May 7 by members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and members of the Miami-Dade Police Department, the DA said.

On May 22, Maldonado Vanegas was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz for the following charges contained within the indictment: second-degree murder, a Class A-I felony; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C felony; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D felony; and second-degree harassment, a violation, the DA said.

Horowitz ordered Maldonado Vanegas remanded without bail during the pendency of the case, the DA said. Maldonado Vanegas is due back in court on June 17 and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count, the DA said.

He is being represented by Donald Rollock, who was not immediately available for comment.