Cops: 2 Suffolk homicides within 15 hours

With just one previous criminal homicide committed in the county this year, Suffolk detectives were called to the scenes of two killings within 15 hours this week.

The first victim, Henrietta Sholl, 53, had been staying in a room at the Budget Host East End in Riverhead since Tuesday, according to Suffolk police.

The rooms are cleaned daily, and when a cleaning crew arrived just before noon Thursday, they found Sholl in a bed, dead. There were no signs of theft or a struggle, according to Det. Let. Gerard Pelkofsky of the Homicide Squad.

The county medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide following an autopsy. Authorities believe Sholl died within 12 hours of her discovery.

Pelkofsky declined to describe any potential suspects. "It's unclear who rented the room," Pelkofsky said. "She was in the room legitimately."

Sholl grew up in Smithtown and had no fixed address, police said. Public records indicate she has lived in several Suffolk communities since at least 1990.

Early Friday morning in Bay Shore, Augustin Yepez, 22, was among a group of friends and others when he was involved in an altercation at the Aquarius Lounge on Suffolk Avenue.

Bouncers ejected Yepez and another man, and a group of other men from the lounge followed the pair to a nearby parking lot.

"The victim is struck with a punch, is knocked down by the punch," Pelkofsky said, before as many as eight men joined in the attack, punching and kicking Yepez on the pavement. As bouncers approached and the group involved started to disperse, "they see that he's more injured, that he's also been stabbed," Pelkofsky said.

Before Third Precinct officers or medical help reached the scene, Yepez was en route in a private vehicle with a group of friends and others to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.

Yepez, of North Bay Shore, had been stabbed an unknown number of times in the upper body and was pronounced dead shortly after reaching the emergency room, police said.

Pelkofsky said it was unclear what triggered the disagreement inside the club.

The attack is not believed to be gang-related. No description of any of the people involved in the attack was available. Attempts to reach family members of both victims were unsuccessful.