By CaraLynn Caulfield
A Suffolk County grand jury has indicted a Ridge man on murder and weapons charges in connection with the fatal shooting of his former girlfriend, who was gunned down outside her apartment earlier this month following an alleged dispute over money.
James Quininchetta, 40, was arraigned Tuesday on charges including second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon for the killing of Rebecca Roth, 33, in the early hours of June 6 outside the Heatherwood Apartment Complex in Moriches.
Quininchetta allegedly traveled by rideshare to Roth’s residence around 12:30 a.m. to confront her over money he claimed she owed him. When Roth, who was sitting in her parked vehicle, allegedly refused to repay him, Quininchetta allegedly opened fire with a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, shooting her seven times before fleeing the scene.
Police said Roth was struck multiple times in the torso. She was later pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, Quininchetta allegedly discarded the weapon and ammunition nearby and returned to his Ridge home via rideshare. Investigators later recovered the firearm near a pickup truck in a nearby parking lot. A Suffolk County Police K-9 unit located a gray fanny pack filled with ammunition in a wooded area near the exit of the complex, along with spent shell casings and ammunition packaging.
Quininchetta surrendered to police the next night, just after midnight on June 7, at the Seventh Precinct in Shirley.
At his June 18 arraignment, Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei ordered Quininchetta held without bail. He is due back in court on July 30 and faces 40 years to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
“What was, at most, a minor financial dispute escalated to a senseless act of violence,” said District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Our office will seek justice for Rebecca Roth and her family.”