In a quiet Bay Shore residence, the life of 24-year-old Daniel Nunez Hernandez was tragically cut short in what authorities have described as a brutal murder. On the night of April 3, 2025, Suffolk County Police responded to a 911 call from a home on West Lakeland Street. Upon their arrival at approximately 11:20 p.m., they discovered the body of a young Hispanic male, Daniel Nunez Hernandez, who had sustained gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
He had been shot in the chest and arm.
The investigation into the death of the young man, who resided in the home, quickly focused on his roommate, 31-year-old Darwin Josue Maldonado Vanegas. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, both men were renting separate rooms in the same house. On the morning of the murder, witnesses reported hearing two gunshots emanating from the basement of the home. Later that day, other tenants returning from work made the grim discovery of Hernandez's body on a couch in the basement.
Following the discovery, law enforcement officials alleged that Maldonado Vanegas fled the state in an attempt to evade capture. Investigators believe he traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he acquired a new cell phone, and then made his way to Miami, Florida. During his flight, he is said to have withdrawn a significant amount of cash from his bank account. A coordinated effort between the Suffolk County Police Department's Homicide Squad and the Miami-Dade Police Department led to his apprehension in Miami on May 7, 2025.
Darwin Josue Maldonado Vanegas was subsequently extradited back to Suffolk County to face justice. He was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree harassment. During a search of Maldonado Vanegas's room, investigators reportedly found a large-capacity ammunition feeding device loaded with 9mm ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered to be held without bail. If convicted of the top count, he faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
