Suffolk Man Gets 8 Years In Prison For Beating Nephews With Pipe

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Central Islip man who beat his nephews with a metal pipe and then fled the country was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday.

Carlos Ortega, 42, also received five years of post-release supervision after he pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree assault before the Honorable John B. Collins.

On Aug. 5, 2018, Ortega's two nephews went to his Central Islip home to pick up their grandparents, according to court documents and Ortega's statements. Ortega was not home at the time.

The grandparents, who are Ortega's parents, were visiting from Guatemala, and the nephews were to take them out for dinner, court documents said.

Upon arriving to his home and seeing the nephews parked outside his home in a car, Ortega retrieved a metal pipe from his work truck and confronted one of them, prosecutors said.

One nephew, then 23, tried to run when he saw the pipe. Ortega struck him several times in the leg, prosecutors said. The leg later had to be amputated, prosecutors said.

The other nephew, who was 24 at the time, then confronted Ortega, who then beat him in the face with the same pipe. Both were treated at Southside Hospital, officials said.

“This defendant’s assault was vicious enough to cost one of his victims a limb," said Tierney. "Instead of communicating, this defendant chose violence."

At first, Ortega claimed self-defense. However, after prosecutors retrieved video footage of the entire incident on his home security camera, Ortega admitted to his actions and was indicted.

He was arraigned in December 2018. After his bail was set, Ortega posted immediately. He also surrendered his passport.

However, Ortega failed to appear on the next court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest, officials said.

Prosecutors later learned that Ortega fled the country to return to his native Guatemala. With the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Grace DiVincenco of the Appeals Bureau, a red notice was issued.

DiVincenco worked with U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service, and Ortega was eventually located.

Ortega was returned to Suffolk County in Feb. 2022, where he remained incarcerated ever since, prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty on Sept. 27.

“This vicious assault cost one of his victims a limb,” said Tierney. “Ortega fled so he would
not have to answer for his actions. Thanks to the diligence of law enforcement, with the help of
the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service, the defendant was brought to
justice.”