On the evening of April 2, 2024, 35-year-old Jorge Vazquez, a Hispanic male from Tampa, Florida, was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside the Extended Stay America hotel on South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage, New York. Nassau County Police officers responded to a call about a shooting at approximately 9:41 p.m. and discovered Vazquez, who was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The investigation into the targeted attack was ongoing for weeks, with police offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.
About a month after the shooting, on April 30, 2025, a coordinated effort between the Nassau County Homicide Squad, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Tamaqua Police Department led to the apprehension of two suspects in Pennsylvania. Sgroilin Santana, a 22-year-old man from Tamaqua, and Jaslynn Nevaeh Garcia, a 19-year-old woman from Shillington, were taken into custody. Both were held as fugitives from justice in Pennsylvania before being extradited to New York to face charges.
Santana and Garcia have been charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a firearm in connection with the death of Jorge Vazquez. Authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motive for the killing or if the suspects knew Vazquez. During the investigation, Vazquez's wife, Muneca Vazzy, made public pleas for justice on social media. A fundraising campaign was also established to assist the family with funeral expenses and the cost of transporting his body back to Florida.
