Man Found Guilty in Fatal Shooting Outside Valley Stream Bar

A man was convicted Monday in the fatal shooting of a man outside a Valley Stream bar almost exactly one year ago, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Orlando Ortiz, 32, of Valley Stream, was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the DA said.

Ortiz was charged in the Dec. 23, 2013 shooting of Richard Baccus, 50, of Rosedale, officials said.

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Baccus was found dead in a black 2004 BMW 525 in a parking lot adjacent to Ay! Caramba in Valley Stream, according to Nassau County Police.

Authorities said Baccus and Ortiz had been drinking and arguing inside the bar before the victim’s death. Witnesses saw Ortiz “angrily” follow Baccus to his car where the shooting occurred, the DA said.

Defense attorney’s claimed Ortiz thought Baccus was holding a gun, which turned out to be a flashlight, the DA said.

Baccus had “suffered from multiple gunshot wounds” and was pronounced dead at the scene by a Nassau County AMT, police reported. His body was discovered at 11:55 p.m. Dec. 23, cops said.

“It’s fitting that almost exactly one year after this defendant’s crime, a Nassau County jury has delivered its verdict on what exactly happened that night,” said DA Kathleen Rice in a statement. “This defendant shot an unarmed man several times as he sat in his car, unable to defend himself. I am thankful for the jury’s hard work in carefully weighing all of the evidence and coming to the conclusion that only this defendant was responsible for the bloodshed that occurred that night.”

Ortiz faces up to 40 years in prison. He is due to be sentenced March 6, 2015.

Photo: NCPD

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