Dionicio Calderon has been sentenced to 75 years to life in prison for opening fire inside a Copiague deli, killing two men.
The sentence comes after a jury found him guilty last month of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.
The incident took place on December 12, 2020, when Calderon walked into La Vaquita deli and started shooting without warning. He shot customer Manuel Cruz Hernandez multiple times in the head and body. Then, the suspect turned his gun on the owner of the deli- Bolivar Rodriguez.
Two other customers were also struck by Calderon’s bullets. Hernandez and Rodriguez died as a result of their injuries, while the other two were hospitalized for approximately two weeks.
A high-definition surveillance video recorded the entire incident, which was crucial to the prosecution’s case.
Hours later, Calderon was apprehended leaving his house with cash, jewelry, and clothing. When he was found by authorities, he was still had on the sweatshirt that he was wearing during shooting. The sweatshirt later tested positive for gun residue.
The 9mm handgun used in the shooting was found hidden on Calderon’s property during a police search.
In his testimony, Calderon admitted shooting multiple people inside the deli, claiming he was threatened. However, on cross-examination,
Calderon admitted to purchasing the gun illegally off the street, and he confessed that nobody else in the deli had weapons. He also admitted that he could have walked out of the deli, but he chose to initiate the shooting instead.