SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Issued May 5, 2026
Carlos Castro Allegedly Planned to Flee the Country Before Being Apprehended in Alabama
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Carlos Castro, 27, a Honduran national, was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, for allegedly shooting Steven Rocco, 43, of Huntington Station, behind a deli in broad daylight.
District Attorney Statement
“This defendant allegedly took Steven Rocco’s life in a senseless shooting captured on video surveillance,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thanks to the dedicated work of the Suffolk County Police Department and the United States Marshals Service, the defendant was arrested in Alabama and extradited back to Suffolk County where we will vigorously prosecute him for these serious charges.”
Details of the Incident
According to the investigation, on April 20, 2026, at approximately 4:11 p.m., Castro was allegedly behind the One Stop Deli in Huntington Station when he got into an argument with the victim. An eyewitness intervened and briefly separated the two men. Moments later, Castro allegedly approached the victim with a handgun and shot him once, killing him, and then fled on foot. The entire incident was caught on nearby video surveillance.
Alleged Attempt to Flee
The following day, Castro allegedly changed his phone number, obtained approximately $3,000 from friends and family in order to flee the country, and hired a driver to take him to Texas.
With the assistance of the United States Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Castro was arrested on April 23, 2026, and extradited back to New York on May 4, 2026.
Arraignment and Charges
On May 5, 2026, Castro was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei for Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony.
Justice Mazzei ordered Castro remanded during the pendency of the case. Castro is due back in court on June 15, 2026, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count.
Additional Details
The United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer to deport Castro following this prosecution. He is being represented by Ian Fitzgerald, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty of the Homicide Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Delilah Bustamante of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.
