A jury convicted a man of murder Tuesday for firing an arrow into the heart of a bystander across the street from his home.
Thomas Sirico, 35, was convicted of one count of second-degree murder in the Jan. 8 death of Juan Carlos “Angel” Munoz, 27.
Sirico could face 25 years to life in prison. Sentencing was set for Jan. 9.
Sirico, an experienced deer hunter, had been drinking and arguing with a roommate about rent payments, he testified. He shot an arrow into a truck and then overheard a comment from a house across the street in the Long Island town of Mastic.
Sirico had a brief verbal exchange with Munoz, who lived nearby and was visiting Sirico’s neighbor. Sirico then raised the bow and took aim at Munoz, who was wearing a red sweater with a patch on his chest, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Denise Merrifield said.
The patch, made of white and yellow satin, was like a target, Merrifield said.
“He just about wore a neon sign that night,” she said.
Defense attorney Stephen Scaring insisted the shooting was an accident. He declined to comment on the verdict but said Sirico would appeal.
Munoz’s mother, Iris Maldonado, said after the verdict that her son did not deserve to die that way.
“He savagely killed him,” she said.
