Suspect in Brentwood murder arrested in N.C.

A Central Islip man is being held without bail on a murder charge stemming from what officials described as a bloody shotgun attack in Brentwood last month following an earlier argument over a small amount of money and a television.

Deighton Reed, 20, of Marie Lane in Brentwood, was arrested Tuesday night after a traffic stop in LaGrange, N.C., about 100 miles southeast of Raleigh, Suffolk police said. He waived his right to contest his extradition and was flown back to Long Island on Wednesday.

At his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip yesterday, Reed whispered briefly with his court-appointed attorney before pleading not guilty to second-degree murder.

Valentino Sanchez, 21, was killed Dec. 30 after several shotgun blasts were fired in his Brentwood apartment. His body was discovered when his girlfriend returned home from shopping.

Assistant District Attorney Denise Merrifield said in court that several people witnessed an earlier dispute between Reed and Sanchez, which she said was over money and "something to do with a television set as well." She declined to elaborate outside of court.

Reed's attorney, Glenn Obedin, of Central Islip, said he had not had an opportunity to discuss the matter fully with his client and declined to comment further. Reed's case will be presented to a grand jury.

Suffolk police said officers in North Carolina stopped Reed for a traffic violation and arrested him after learning he was the subject of a national alert sent out by Suffolk police.

Reed pleaded guilty in August to a misdemeanor larceny charge and was awaiting sentencing at the time of his arrest, according to online court documents. With John Valenti