LI Man Faces 25 Years After Fatal Robbery Shooting: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Central Islip man faces 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting a 19-year-old Bay Shore man during an attempted robbery, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Erick Garcia, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of Carlos Guillen, 19, of Bay Shore, prosecutors said.

Garcia also pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with an unrelated gun possession case.

According to court documents and Garcia’s admissions during his plea, Garcia arranged to meet Guillen on Oct. 1, 2022, as part of a plan to rob him, prosecutors said.

When Guillen arrived at the location Garcia selected, Garcia got into the passenger side of Guillen’s vehicle and tried to rob him at gunpoint, prosecutors said. Guillen accelerated and drove away with Garcia still inside the vehicle.

Garcia then shot Guillen and jumped out of the moving vehicle, prosecutors said.

Guillen tried to call 911 but was unable to speak during the call, prosecutors said. After crashing his vehicle, he was taken to South Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.

Cellphone records placed Garcia’s phone in the area of the shooting at the time of the crime and showed he fled to Florida the next day to avoid capture, prosecutors said.

Garcia was later arrested in Central Islip on Nov. 10, 2022, in an unrelated case after police found him with a loaded 9 mm unserialized firearm, prosecutors said. The gun was not believed to be connected to the homicide, according to the DA’s office.

Garcia was located by Suffolk County police on April 11, 2024, and arrested on homicide charges, prosecutors said. He was arraigned the next day on an indictment that included second-degree murder, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon charges.

Garcia pleaded guilty Tuesday before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski. He is due back in court Aug. 6, when he is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Garcia is represented by Glenn Obedin, who was not available for comment.

“This was a vicious plan with an equally vicious result,” Tierney said. “The defendant’s plan to lure and rob the victim, Carlos Guillen, led to foreseeable violence. We will not tolerate violent crime like this in Suffolk County.”