Commack Gang Member Sentenced To Prison For Home Invasion: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY - A Commack gang member was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday in connection to a 2016 armed home invasion in Farmingville, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini.

Luis Garcia, 36, was sentenced to prison plus 5 years post-release supervision by Judge Timothy Mazzei for his role in the armed robbery, the DA said. He was one of five people charged in connection to the incident.

Garcia was convicted in September of first degree burglary and first degree robbery.

In Aug. 2016, Garcia, along with 40-year-old Jason Montello, of Bay Shore; 45-year-old Paul Torres of Middle Island; 41-year-old Anthony Capuano, of Selden and 24-year-old Ray Pena, of Port Jefferson Station; armed with at least one firearm, forcibly entered a home on Chestnut Avenue, police said.

The group mistakenly targeted the residence believing it was the home of a drug dealer.

A woman who was in the home entered the kitchen after hearing a noise and was confronted by two of the group, who proceeded to drag her down the hallway of the home by her hair to the master bedroom, the DA said.

They then demanded drugs and money from the woman and threatened to kill her family and their two dogs, the DA said.

The group stole a number of items from the home, including jewelry, purses and electronics, the DA said.

Garcia was located and arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department within an hour after the incident.

Montello and Torres were convicted by a jury in 2017 on two counts of first degree burglary; three counts of second degree burglary; two counts of first degree robbery; and two counts of second degree robbery.

Montello was sentenced on April to 25 years to life in prison. Torres was also sentenced on April to 24 years to life in prison.

Capuano pleaded guilty in 2017 to 35 criminal charges in connection with the Farmingville home invasion, a second unrelated home invasion, and an unrelated robbery, the DA said.

He was sentenced in January to 14 years in prison.

Pena pleaded guilty on May to two counts of first degree burglary; three counts of second degree burglary; two counts of first degree robbery; two counts of second degree robbery; and fifth degree criminal possession of stolen property.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

“Thanks to the hard work of ADAs Ferron Lien and Kimberly Shalvey, another dangerous individual has been taken off the streets of Suffolk County,” Sini said. “This alleged gang member is being held accountable for his role in a violent armed robbery that victimized an entire family. Today, justice has been served. Let this sentence serve as a message to other gang members: we’re coming for you. If you commit violent acts in our communities, you are going to prison for a very, very long time.”

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