Shot Victim in Case of Mistaken Identity
A Sound Beach man was found guilty after a jury trial for his role in the fatal shooting of a homeowner during an attempted burglary at the victim’s Bohemia home in 2022.
On November 2, 2022, at approximately 6:36 a.m., Christopher Fernandez and his accomplice, both armed with guns, descended upon Michael Hartmann’s Bohemia home. Fernandez claimed that a cellphone that had allegedly been stolen from him was pinging nearby to the victim’s home. Fernandez and co-defendant Oliver Schor went to enter the residence through the back door when they encountered Hartmann. One of the defendants opened fire and shot the victim multiple times before both defendants fled. Hartmann, 49, was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation showed that Fernandez and Schor went to the wrong location in a case of mistaken identity.
Fernandez also threatened a gas station employee at a gas station in Manorville shortly before the murder.
On March 6, 2026, Fernandez, 29, was convicted of the following charges after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony
- Attempted Burglary in the First Degree, a Class B felony
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Criminal Use of a Firearm in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor
“While this guilty verdict brings some measure of justice for Mr. Hartmann and his family, it cannot undo the tragic loss of a devoted husband and father,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “This case is a devastating reminder of how fragile life is. An innocent man on his own back deck at dawn paid the ultimate price for something that he had absolutely nothing to do with.”
Fernandez is due back in court on April 8, 2026, for sentencing and faces up to 25 years to life in prison. Schor’s case is still ongoing.