Homeless man sentenced in Hempstead killing

A homeless man was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison on Friday for striking and killing another homeless man with a board in February 2009 after the two argued over whether they should continue drinking.

A Nassau jury had found Santos David Guevara Carrero, 22, guilty of first-degree manslaughter and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon for killing Hector Chavez, 43, of Honduras, Nassau prosecutors said. The jury acquitted Carrero of second-degree intentional murder.

At his initial appearance for sentencing, on June 29, Carrero surprised his defense attorney, Steven Barnwell of Uniondale, and verbally slammed Nassau County Court Judge George Peck, prosecutor Zeena Abdi and the jurors.

"First of all, I want to thank you, your honor, and the assistant district attorney, and the people from the jury that are not present for ruining my life," Carrero said in Spanish, with his statement translated by a court interpreter. "All of them know that I didn't kill this person. But up there is a god and he will take charge and he will take charge of all these people that they judge the innocent in the wrong way."

At that time, Peck postponed the sentencing and ordered a transcript of the court minutes, which he read aloud in court Friday.

Carrero, who had no criminal record, had faced 5 to 25 years in prison.

According to Abdi, Carrero and Chavez and other homeless people lived at a house on Henry Street in Hempstead. At the time, the house had been abandoned. The men bought alcohol at a liquor store across the street, drank it and then went to the house, where an argument began.

Carrero said he struck Chavez in self-defense, according to Barnwell. Chavez survived for a day, possibly two days, Abdi said. Police found Chavez's body on Feb. 22, 2009, after someone called 911.

Carrero, who entered the United States illegally from El Salvador, told authorities he didn't want to call for help because he was afraid he'd get in trouble with the law, Abdi said.