LI Man Indicted After Fatally Shooting 19-Year-Old In Robbery: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Central Islip man was indicted Friday on charges including second-degree murder after the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old during an attempted robbery in 2022, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Erick Garcia, 20, is accused of fatally shooting Carlos Guillen, 19, of Bay Shore, during

an attempted robbery in October 2022, Tierney said.

According to the investigation, on October 1, 2022, Garcia allegedly arranged to meet Guillen in a plan devised by Garcia to rob Guillen, the DA said. When Guillen arrived at the meeting location, Garcia reportedly went into Guillen’s vehicle armed with a firearm and attempted to execute the robbery, Tierney said.

Guillen then accelerated with Garcia still inside the vehicle, and Garcia shot Guillen, the DA said.

Surveillance video captured Garcia exiting Guillen’s vehicle while it was still in motion, Tierney said.

Guillen attempted to call 911 but was unable to speak during the call and then crashed his vehicle; he was transported to South Shore University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the DA said.

On November 10, 2022, about one month after the shooting, Garcia was arrested in Central Islip on an unrelated case after police reportedly found him in possession of a 9 mm unserialized gun, the DA said.

Garcia was then indicted on the charge of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C violent felony, and arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski; Justice Pilewski ordered Garcia to be placed on supervised release with GPS conditions during the pendency of that case, which is still pending, Tierney said.

The gun recovered from Garcia during the November 2022 arrest is not believed to be connected to the homicide, Tierney said.

Garcia was located by the Suffolk County Police Department on April 11, then placed under arrest and charged with homicide, the DA said. On Friday, Garcia was arraigned on the new indictment before Justice Pilewski for the following charges, Tierney said:

- Two counts of second-degree murder, Class A felonies;
- One count of first-degree attempted robbery, a Class C violent felony; and
- One count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C violent felony.

Justice Pilewski ordered Garcia to be remanded during the pendency of the case. Garcia is due back in court on May 31, and he is being represented by Christopher Gioe. Gioe did not immediately return a request for comment.

"Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners are relentless in their pursuit of solving homicide cases in Suffolk County," Tierney said. "I would like to thank the detectives here for not giving up and making sure that no victim is overlooked."