Emotions burst forth on both sides after verdict

Edit Vanegas burst out of a Nassau County courtroom, screaming and flailing his arms as the jury forewoman began reading the verdicts against Caleb Lacey, the man on trial for lighting the fire in which Vanegas' wife and three of his children perished.

Upon hearing the names of his daughters and wife as the verdict was read on the first count Lacey faced, Vanegas fled.

Outside the courtroom, he fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably and rolling on the hallway floor, a scene that stunned dozens of officers, lawyers, journalists and litigants in the building.

Appearing to come out of his shock, Vanegas then raced back into the courtroom, following a train of court officers who had rushed to respond to the commotion unfolding inside - Lacey's response to the guilty verdicts.

Chris Cassar, Lacey's attorney, said Lacey's reaction was that of an innocent man shocked to hear he had been convicted of a crime he did not commit.

Speaking after the verdicts, Vanegas had words of gratitude for the jurors. "I say thank you for helping me because I have [a] lot of pains today," he said outside the courtroom.

About a dozen of Vanegas' family were present for the verdict, including his two sons.

"We are satisfied that they came to a guilty verdict, and feel good that justice is going to be done," said America Chavez, a sister of Morena Vanegas, Edit Vanegas' wife. "I hope they give him the max."

A family spokesman, Enrique Lugo, comforted Vanegas, who was often too distraught to talk. Vanegas was calmed also by a Brooklyn minister, Luis Guillermo, who counseled him as the men stood face-to-face amid a crowd of family and spectators.

Lugo said the verdict was justified and that Lacey's reaction in court was an indication of his guilt. "We are happy that justice prevailed," Lugo said. "They tried to paint him as a saint, as a firefighter. What he did in that court is unforgettable."

Earlier Friday, the Vanegas family visited the graves of their loved ones at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale, marking the anniversary of their deaths.

Balloons and bouquets of fresh flowers were placed on the unmarked grave sites.

Vanegas gazed at the grave site, wiping away tears.

"I can't handle this," he said. "This is very hard for me."

With Sophia Chang