(Photo by Rich Forestano)
Nassau County police confirmed the area’s first homicide of 2015 after an attempted robbery last night at 9:36 p.m. in Mineola.
According to police, Oscar Granados, 43, of Mineola, was shot and killed on Roslyn Road near 2nd Street and that authorities are still gathering information. Police said Granados was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:42 p.m.
“We are currently investigating his whereabouts from [Sunday, Jan. 11] from about 5 p.m. until he returned home at about 9:30 p.m.,” Homicide Squad Commanding Officer Det. Captain John Azzata said.
Granados was returning home in a cab on Sunday night when he was confronted by an unknown subject, police said. But Azzata said the suspect’s voice that was described by Miguel Ventura, 35, the victim’s brother, is male.
“The brother was inside [the house],” Azzata said. “He heard yelling outside the house. He looked outside and saw his brother arguing and struggling with another individual. He saw his brother fall to the ground.”
Previous reports said Granados was shot fatally to his head. Azzata would not reveal where Granados was hit, but denied the reports of a fatal head wound.
A Liberty Avenue resident across from the Roslyn Road home said he heard “a pop” between 9 and 10 p.m. last night, but thought it was a fire cracker. The man declined to give his name.
“I was watching TV and didn’t think it was a gunshot,” he said.
Police are investigating if Granados’ alleged gambling, according to relatives, resulted in the incident on Sunday. Azzata said authorities were told “he gambled a little.”
“We are being told that he did gamble,” Azzata said. “Right now, that has noting to do with this investigation. I don’t know if it was to the extent of being a problem.”
Azzata said the investigation is “leaning towards” Granados being targeted in the killing. That aspect of the case is still under investigation.
“I don’t have that 100 percent confirmed,” he said.
A Plymouth Avenue resident said she heard sirens late last night. She looked out her window and saw police cars racing down Roslyn Road.
“It was scary,” she said. “I don’t normally see that many cop cars driving down here. Then when I went outside, the whole intersection was filled with police.”
—This story originally appeared on The Mineola American website, on Jan. 12, 2015.
