Fled to Florida after Killing Housemate
A Bay Shore man has been indicted for allegedly murdering his housemate in April of last year.
On April 3, 2025, at approximately 11:20 p.m., Suffolk County police responded to a home in Bay Shore where they discovered 24-year-old Daniel Nunez Hernandez’ body. Officers saw the victim had gunshot wounds to his chest and arm, and two nine-millimeter shell casings were recovered near his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Darwin Josue Maldonado Vanegas and the victim were allegedly renting separate rooms in the same house. Witnesses heard two gunshots coming from the basement of the home earlier that morning. Later in the day, when the other tenants in the home returned from work, they discovered Nunez Hernandez’ body on a couch in the basement.
Records revealed that Vanegas Maldonado had allegedly been present at the incident location earlier in the day, at approximately the same time that the gunshots were heard. Additionally, a large capacity ammunition feeding device loaded with 12 rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition was allegedly recovered between the mattress and box spring of Maldonado Vanegas’ bed.
Further investigation revealed that after the murder, Maldonado Vanegas allegedly fled New York and withdrew a substantial amount of money from his bank account. While he was in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Maldonado Vanegas allegedly discontinued using his cell phone and obtained a second cell phone. He then allegedly fled to Miami, Florida where he was apprehended on May 7, 2025, by members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and members of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
On May 22, 2025, Maldonado Vanegas, 31, was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz for the following charges contained within the indictment:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A-I felony
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D felony
- Harassment in the Second Degree, a violation
Horowitz ordered Maldonado Vanegas remanded without bail during the pendency of the case.
“This defendant allegedly executed Daniel Nunez-Hernandez and then thought he could flee Suffolk County to avoid culpability, but he was clearly wrong,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Due to the great investigative work done by the Suffolk County Police Department and our law enforcement partners in Atlantic City and Miami-Dade, we were able to apprehend and charge the defendant with this brutal murder.”
Maldonado Vanegas is due back in court on June 17, 2025, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count.