Suffolk County, New York — A 24-year-old man’s fatal shooting inside a Bay Shore home has led to a 25-years-to-life prison sentence for his roommate, who fled New York after the killing before being captured in Florida, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Darwin Josue Maldonado Vanegas, 32, was sentenced on April 16, 2026, after a jury convicted him last month of second-degree murder and weapons charges in the April 2025 killing of Daniel Nunez-Hernandez, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Shooting inside shared home led to discovery hours later
Police responded to the residence on April 3, 2025, at approximately 11:20 p.m., where they found Nunez-Hernandez dead on a basement couch with gunshot wounds to his chest and arm.
Investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings near the victim’s body, while witnesses reported hearing two gunshots earlier that morning.
Authorities said both men rented separate rooms in the same house, placing them at the scene during the timeframe of the shooting.
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Key Points
• Man sentenced to 25 years to life for Bay Shore roommate killing
• Victim found shot in basement; gunfire heard hours earlier
• Suspect fled New York and was captured in Miami weeks later
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Evidence and timeline tied suspect to killing
Prosecutors said records showed Maldonado Vanegas was at the home around the time the gunshots were heard. During a search, investigators recovered a magazine loaded with 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition hidden between the mattress and box spring in his bedroom.
The victim’s body was not discovered until later that day, when other tenants returned home from work and called police.
The combination of witness accounts, physical evidence, and timeline details formed the core of the prosecution’s case at trial.
Flight across states ended with arrest in Miami
After the shooting, Maldonado Vanegas left New York and withdrew a significant amount of cash from his bank account, authorities said.
Investigators tracked his movements to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he stopped using his original cellphone and obtained a second device. He then traveled to Miami, Florida.
On May 7, 2025, members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad, working with the Miami Police Department, located and arrested him.
Prosecutors emphasized his flight as an attempt to evade law enforcement following the killing.
Conviction, sentencing, and next steps
On March 17, 2026, a jury found Maldonado Vanegas guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a trial before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz.
He was formally sentenced on April 16 to 25 years to life in prison.
Federal immigration authorities have indicated they will seek to deport Maldonado Vanegas, a lawful permanent resident from El Salvador, after he completes his sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michelle Chiuchiolo and Eric S. Aboulafia, with the investigation led by Suffolk County Police homicide detectives.
Maldonado Vanegas is now serving his sentence in state custody, and no further court proceedings related to the conviction are pending.
