25 Years For Hempstead Shooting That Leaves Victim Quadriplegic: Prosecutors

MINEOLA, NY — An Elmont man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a 2018 shooting that left the victim a quadriplegic, prosecutors announced.

Carlos Spielfogel-Lopez, 36, was convicted in May of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. He was acquitted of gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Along with the 25-year prison term, Spielfogel-Lopez also received five years post-release supervision.

“Carlos Spielfogel-Lopez pointed a loaded gun at a young man’s head and pulled the trigger, severing the victim’s spine and confining the victim to a wheelchair for the rest of his life," Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said. "The defendant fled the county after the shooting, but thanks to great detective work, he was arrested and brought to justice."

On the overnight hours of Nov. 4, 2018, the victim in the passenger seat of his friend's Jeep Cherokee, parked at a Goodyear Tires on N. Franklin Street in Hempstead.

A Dodge Durango, driven by Spielfogel-Lopez, stopped directly in front of the Jeep, preventing it from leaving the parking space, Donnelly said.

After opening the victim's car door, Spielfogel-Lopez placed a firearm at the victim's right ear. He demanded "the stuff" from the victim and seconds later fired once, Donnelly said.

Spielfogel-Lopez got back into his car and drove away. He fled the county and was arrested on a separate charge on Nov. 30, 2018 in Worcester, Massachusetts. He received a three-year jail sentence and was released in Nov. 2021.

The gunshot wound caused a severed spinal cord which left the victim a quadriplegic.