A Bay Shore man was indicted for allegedly striking and killing a pedestrian on Main Street in Bay Shore, while driving intoxicated, at a high rate of speed, in a stolen car, and without headlights on.
According to the investigation, on March 8 at approximately 2:00 a.m., Alexander Cerda allegedly entered into a Bay Shore home, where he damaged a window. He then allegedly went into an unlocked Toyota RAV4 that was on the property and stole the vehicle from the back of the driveway. Video surveillance from the residence captured what appeared to be the intoxicated defendant drive off with the vehicle.
At approximately 2:10 a.m., less than a mile away from the residence of the theft, Cerda allegedly drove the stolen vehicle westbound on Main Street near Shore Lane in Bay Shore at a high rate of speed with the vehicle’s headlights off before he struck the victim.
Eric Perez, 52, of Bay Shore, was walking when he was struck by the vehicle on the roadway. The impact caused the victim to be thrown a considerable distance down the street. Cerda allegedly stopped the car, exited, and took several photographs of the damage to the vehicle while numerous Good Samaritans tried unsuccessfully to render aid to Perez. When Suffolk County police arrived at the crash site, Cerda allegedly reentered the stolen Toyota RAV4 and drove off. Perez was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The following day, detectives located the damaged stolen vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot on South Clinton Avenue in Bay Shore, near Cerda’s residence. On March 12, as he left his job for the day, Cerda was arrested by detectives assigned to the Major Case Unit.
On April 11, Cerda, 21, was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft, Jr. for the following charges contained in the indictment:
- one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- one count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Resulting in Death, a Class D felony
- one count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony
- 0ne count of Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony
- one count of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, a Class E felony
- one count of Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor
- one count of Reckless Driving an unclassified misdemeanor
- one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- one count of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- one count of Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, a Class B misdemeanor
- one count of Criminal Tampering with Evidence, a Class B misdemeanor
Senft ordered Cerda to be held on $400,000 cash, $800,000 bond or $2,000,000 partially secured bond and suspended his license during the pendency of the case. Cerda is due back in court on May 2 and faces 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count.
“The charges returned by the grand jury reflect the severe nature of the alleged offenses and the defendant’s conduct,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “We are committed to seeking justice for the tragic consequences of the defendant’s deadly actions.”