Police: Bethpage man committed suicide in East Meadow jail cell

Detectives said a Bethpage man committed suicide in his cell at the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow on Tuesday night.

According to Homicide Squad detectives, Gasparino Godino, 31, was found hanging in his cell at about 6:05 p.m. He was immediately transported next door to the Nassau University Medical Center, police said, and was pronounced dead by hospital staff at 7:02 p.m.

Godino had been housed at the jail after being charged in connection with two robberies in Levittown on Oct. 2. Acting in concert with Shanna Lintz, 23, of Hicksville, Godino allegedly failed in their attempt to steal a pocketbook from a 52-year-old woman at Waldbaum’s on 3377 Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, police said. According to detectives, the duo then drove to King Kullen, located at 3284 Hempstead Turnpike, where they pushed a 56-year-old woman to the ground and fled in their vehicle with the victim’s pocketbook. The pocketbook contained an undetermined amount of cash, credit cards and personal items, police said.

A short time later, the defendants were observed inside a rented 2010 Hyundai Sonata and arrested without incident in front of Godino’s home in Bethpage. Both defendants were found to be in possession of a substance believed to be heroin, police said.

The defendants were charged with second-degree attempted robbery, second-degree robbery and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.  

Both defendants were arraigned on Oct. 4, and were scheduled to appear again in court on Wednesday, according to court records.