LI Man Pleads Guilty After Beating Nephews With Pipe, Fleeing US: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Central Islip man pleaded guilty in court, after he severely beat his nephews with a metal pipe and then fled the country, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Tuesday.

Carlos Ortega, 42, pleaded guilty on Monday, after being charged with first-degree assault before the Honorable John B. Collins.

On August 5, 2018, Ortega's two nephews went to his Central Islip home to pick up their grandparents, according to court documents and Ortega's statements. Ortega was not home at the time.

Their grandparents, who are also Ortega's parents, were visiting from Guatemala, and the nephews were to take them out for dinner, court documents said.

Upon arriving to his home and seeing the nephews parked outside his home in a car, Ortega retrieved a metal pipe from his work truck and confronted one of them, prosecutors said.

One nephew, then aged 23, attempted to run away as he saw the pipe, but Ortega struck him several times in the leg, prosecutors said.

The other nephew, who was 24-years-old at the time, then confronted Ortega, who then struck him in the face with the same pipe. Both were treated at Southside Hospital, officials said.

The 23-year-old's beating was so severe, his leg had to be amputated, prosecutors said.

“This defendant’s assault was vicious enough to cost one of his victims a limb," said Tierney. Instead of communicating, this defendant chose violence."

At first, Ortega claimed self-defense. However, after prosecutors retrieved video footage of the entire incident on his home security camera, Ortega admitted to his actions and was indicted.

He was arraigned on December 21, 2018, before the Honorable William Condon.

After his bail was set, Ortega posted immediately. He also surrendered his passport.

However, Ortega failed to appear on the next court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest, officials said.

Prosecutors later learned that Ortega fled the U.S. to return to his native Guatemala. With the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Grace DiVincenco of the Appeals Bureau, a red notice was issued.

DiVincenco worked with U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service, and Ortega was eventually located.

"Instead of facing the consequences of his action, this defendant tried to flee to another country,” said Tierney. “He fled, so he would not have to answer for his actions. Thanks to my team, with the help of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service, the defendant was captured, and now he’s going to be held accountable.”

Ortega was returned to Suffolk County on Feb. 2022, where he remained incarcerated ever since, prosecutors said.

He is due back in court for sentencing on Nov. 21.