Bohemia Dad Shot Dead On His Deck In Mistaken-Identity Burglary; Sound Beach Man Convicted: DA

BOHEMIA, NY — A Sound Beach man was convicted of murder and multiple other charges in the fatal 2022 shooting of a Bohemia homeowner during what prosecutors said was an attempted burglary at the wrong house.

Christopher Fernandez, 29, was found guilty on March 6 of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted burglary, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal use of a firearm, and petit larceny in the killing of Michael Hartmann, 49.

Fernandez and co-defendant Oliver Schor went to Hartmann’s Bohemia home on Nov. 2, 2022, at about 6:36 a.m., believing a cellphone Fernandez said had been stolen from him was pinging near the residence, according to prosecutors.

The two men, both armed, went toward the back of the home and attempted to enter through a rear door when they encountered Hartmann on his back deck, according to the DA’s office.

One of the defendants then opened fire, striking Hartmann multiple times before both men fled, prosecutors said. Hartmann was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later determined the pair had targeted the wrong location in a case of mistaken identity, according to the DA’s office.

Prosecutors also said Fernandez threatened a gas station employee in Manorville shortly before the killing. The petit larceny conviction was among the charges returned by the jury after trial before State Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski, according to the DA’s office.

Hartmann’s killing drew widespread attention on Long Island after investigators said he was gunned down outside his own home in what authorities later described as a mistaken-identity case.

Fernandez and Schor were both indicted in 2024 in connection with the shooting. At that time, prosecutors said the men had descended on the home armed with guns, intending to confront someone they believed had stolen Fernandez’s phone.

Fernandez’s conviction resolves one part of the case, but Schor’s prosecution is still pending. Because Schor’s case remains ongoing, prosecutors have released only limited details as to which of the two men fired the fatal shots.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. Fernandez faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on April 8, prosecutors said. He is represented by Christopher Cassar and Pierre Bazile, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“While this guilty verdict brings some measure of justice for Mr. Hartmann and his family, it cannot undo the tragic loss of a devoted husband and father,” Tierney said in a statement. “This case is a devastating reminder of how fragile life is. An innocent man on his own back deck at dawn paid the ultimate price for something that he had absolutely nothing to do with.”