Guilty Plea For Strangling Woman To Death In Mineola: Prosecutors

MINEOLA, NY — An Elmont man pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges for strangling a woman to death and leaving her body beside a dumpster last year, prosecutors announced.

Andrew Avila, 26, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to first-degree manslaughter.

"Andrew Avila met with Rebecca Carlson in his car in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day for a sex act. When the victim refused his demands for more, he strangled her and discarded her body next to a trash bin," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

According to the indictment, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2023, Avila met with 39-year-old Rebecca Carlson in his vehicle in Mineola.

Avila had contacted the victim through a website and they agreed to meet in person to perform a sex act, Donnelly said.

After getting into an argument that turned physical, Avila strangled Carlson to death, the DA's office said.

Avila then disposed of the victim’s body next to a dumpster behind an Advanced Auto Parts retail store on Grand Avenue in South Hempstead, Donnelly said.

He is due back in court on June 3, when he is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Christopher Devane, the attorney for Avila, had no comment.