Suffolk prosecutors indict man in daylight deli shooting death of Huntington Station man

A Huntington Station deli became the center of a homicide case when Steven Rocco, 43, was shot behind the One Stop Deli at 150 West Pulaski Road in broad daylight, turning a familiar neighborhood spot into a crime scene. Suffolk County prosecutors say Carlos Castro, 27, a Honduran national, was indicted in the killing and now faces second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon charges.

Investigators say the confrontation began at about 4:11 p.m. on April 20, when Castro and Rocco got into an argument behind the deli. An eyewitness briefly separated the two men, prosecutors said, but Castro then approached Rocco with a handgun and shot him once. A 911 caller reported the shooting at about 4:15 p.m., and police said Rocco was taken to Huntington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The shooting hit a place that many Huntington Station residents know by name and location, a deli on West Pulaski Road that sits in the everyday path of customers, workers and nearby neighbors. Suffolk County police said the homicide investigation brought in a canine unit and a police helicopter, while nearby video surveillance captured the entire episode. Prosecutors say that footage is central evidence in the case.

After the shooting, Castro fled on foot, according to the indictment. The next day, prosecutors say, he changed his phone number, collected about $3,000 from friends and family so he could leave the country, and hired a driver to take him toward Texas. Suffolk County law enforcement then worked with the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is designed to combine federal, state and local resources to locate and apprehend dangerous fugitives and assist in high-profile investigations.

Castro was arrested in Alabama on April 23 and extradited back to New York on May 4. He was arraigned May 5 before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei and was remanded without bail. Prosecutors said he faces up to 25 years to life if convicted on the top count, and federal immigration authorities have lodged a detainer for deportation after the criminal case concludes. The Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case, and Castro is due back in court on June 15.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney called the shooting “senseless” and pointed to the work of the Suffolk County Police Department and U.S. Marshals in bringing Castro back to Suffolk County for prosecution. The case adds to ongoing local concern about gun violence, rapid flight after shootings and the growing weight of surveillance video in Suffolk County homicide cases.