In the early morning hours of December 28, 2019, the life of 30-year-old Frederick Dela Cruz was tragically cut short in a fatal shooting in Wheatley Heights, a community within Wyandanch, New York. A 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. reported a man lying on the side of Little East Neck Road, between Charlestown and Westmore places. Responding Suffolk County police officers discovered Dela Cruz with a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.
Initially, details surrounding the shooting were scarce, and authorities withheld the victim's name pending notification of his family. The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad immediately launched an investigation into the death of the Bronx man. Detectives appealed to the public for any information that could shed light on the circumstances leading to the fatal shooting.
The investigation ultimately revealed a sinister plot orchestrated by a high-ranking member of the Trinitarios gang. William Jones, 45, also from the Bronx, was identified as the individual responsible for Dela Cruz's death. Court documents revealed that Jones had lured Dela Cruz from the Bronx to Long Island with a deadly intent. The motive behind the killing was a devastating betrayal; Dela Cruz had been acting as a confidential informant for law enforcement.
Justice for Frederick Dela Cruz came in May 2024 when William Jones was sentenced for the murder. A jury found Jones guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and murder using a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. This was not Jones's first murder conviction, marking a grim end to his violent criminal activities and bringing a measure of closure to the family and friends of Frederick Dela Cruz.
