Joaquin Orantes Franco, of Brentwood, accused of shooting into Central Islip home with kids inside
A Brentwood man has been indicted on a host of charges, including criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment, after prosecutors said he allegedly fired a gunshot into a home occupied by his girlfriend, her two children and her family in Central Islip in October.
The incident occurred on Oct. 20 when the woman told Joaquin Orantes Franco, 42, she did not want to move in with him, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement.
In addition to the victim, there were at least five children and the woman's parents in the home at the time and the bullet penetrated "several" walls, a television and a child's bedroom before it "narrowly missed" an adult watching TV, authorities said.
"The allegations in this case represent an egregious act of domestic violence that put innocent lives at risk," Tierney said.
Several young children were playing in a downstairs apartment when the bullet penetrated the walls of the home. Home surveillance footage captured the shooting and family members saw the shot come from a truck driven by Orantes Franco, who then fled, authorities said.
During the investigation, prosecutors said Suffolk police recovered a 9 mm pistol with a loaded high-capacity magazine and a live cartridge jammed in the chamber.
A search of Orantes Franco's truck found a live pistol round and one expended cartridge casing, the district attorney's office said.
The gun recovered had no serial numbers, prosecutors said.
Orantes Franco was arraigned Monday before acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz on multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon, one count of reckless endangerment and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Orantes Franco was held on $1 million partially secured bond, $250,000 bond or $100,000 cash bail and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He is due back in court Dec. 19.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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