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Dionicio Calderon, age 65, of Copiague, was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, March 16. It followed his jury conviction for murder and other charges stemming from a shooting inside the La Vaquita deli in Copiague, on Great Neck Road, in December 2020.
Prosecutors said Calderon walked into the deli shortly after 6 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2020. After drinking for a while, and without warning, he pulled out a 9 mm handgun and started shooting multiple people.
The first victim was 47-year-old Manuel Cruz Hernandez, a customer from North Amityville. Calderon shot him several times in his head and body, killing him.
He then turned the gun on the deli’s 61-year-old owner, Bolivar Rodriguez, of Amityville, shooting him once in the head. Rodriguez also died from his injuries.
According to investigators, Calderon continued firing his weapon, striking two other customers, 40-year-old Daniel Acosta, who was struck once in the torso, and 30-year-old Juan Avila Roque, who was shot in the left arm and chest. Both men spent nearly two weeks in the hospital.
Prosecutors said the shooting was captured by the deli’s high-definition surveillance video.
Calderon was arrested hours after the shooting as he attempted to leave his home, prosecutors said. Officers reportedly found him with cash, jewelry, and a suitcase full of clothing. He was still wearing the sweatshirt he had on during the killings, which tested positive for gunshot residue.
During a subsequent search of his home, police found the 9 mm handgun that was used in the shootings hidden on his property.
At trial, Calderon took the stand and admitted to shooting the victims, but claimed that he had been threatened. On cross examination, he testified that he bought the gun illegally off the street, and acknowledged that nobody else in the deli had weapons.
“It’s hard to even fathom the terror the victims in this case faced when this defendant opened fire,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
“This is a just sentence for the crimes he committed, and now the defendant will have to live with the consequence of his ruthless actions while in prison for the remainder of his life.”
On Feb. 9, a jury convicted Calderon of the following crimes:
- Murder - second degree (felony)
- Manslaughter - second degree (felony)
- Two counts of attempted murder - second degree (felony)
- Criminal possession of a weapon - second degree (felony)
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