Dix Hills Man Found Guilty Of Murder After Deadly Deer Park Nail Salon Crash That Left 4 Dead: DA

DEER PARK, NY — Steven Schwally was found guilty Thursday after a deadly Deer Park nail salon crash that killed four people and injured nine others, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

Schwally, 66, of Dix Hills, was found guilty on all counts, the DA’s office said. He is due back in court for sentencing on Aug. 12, the DA’s office said.

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Schwally was indicted in August 2024 on 38 charges, including four counts of second-degree murder, officials said.

Schwally had pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the June 28, 2024, crash at Hawaii Nail & Spa, where prosecutors said he drove drunk and plowed an SUV through the front window of the salon.

Closing arguments were held Tuesday after prosecutors rested their case Monday evening, and the defense did not call any witnesses, Newsday reported.

Schwally faces up to 25 years to life in prison, Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro previously said in court.

The crash killed NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, of Deer Park; Jiancai Chen, 37, of Bayside, Queens; Yan Xu, 41, of Flushing, Queens; and Meizi Zhang, 50, of Flushing, Queens, police said.

Nine others were seriously injured: Nicole Miele, 54, of Dix Hills; Ana Garcia, 53, of Bay Shore; Wen Jun Cheng, 35, of Bayside, Queens; Michael Mehale, 58, of Deer Park; Carol Garcia, 23, of Bay Shore; Toni Saccente, 32, of West Islip; Krystal Rodriguez, 37, of Bay Shore; Nicole Saccente, 55, of Cape Coral, Florida; and a 12-year-old girl, police said.

Suffolk County police previously said Schwally drove an SUV at high speed through the parking lot in front of 421 Commack Road, crossed over Grand Boulevard and continued through the parking lot of 794 Grand Boulevard, where he crashed through the front window of the salon.

At a July 2024 court hearing, prosecutors said Schwally’s toxicology report showed a .17 percent blood alcohol concentration — more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent — at the time of the crash.

At an August court hearing, prosecutors said the investigation revealed that the morning of the crash, Schwally had purchased two 42-proof, 375-milliliter bottles of Montebello Iced Tea cocktail.

Investigators also found two empty bottles of the cocktail and one full bottle in his vehicle after the crash, prosecutors said in court.

Schwally admitted to drinking 18 beers the night before the crash,Newsday previously reported.

Schwally’s attorney, Christopher Cassar, previously told Patch that he gave prosecutors medical records for a leg injury that he said made Schwally unable to take his leg off the gas before the crash.

Cassar was not immediately available to respond to Patch for comment on the verdict.

This is a breaking story and will be updated. Check back later for updates.