By JUDY RATTNER
Perryman was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on July 22. At a press briefing at police headquarters in Mineola the following day, Detective Michael Fleming, commanding officer of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, said the 22-year-old, who lives at 15 Old Mill Court, had shot his former friend twice with an automatic pistol. One bullet hit Baez in the chest just above the heart, and the other struck his femur.
Fleming said that Perryman, who was known in the neighborhood as 'Carl Carl' and whose sister had been dating Baez, was apprehended during a stakeout in Hempstead. His arrest followed an investigation that was hampered by witnesses who at first would not talk to police. Eventually, however, Fleming explained, detectives gathered enough information from some of the people at the party who had seen all or part of the shooting to piece the story together.
Although no motive has been established, Fleming said, the information gleaned in the investigation of the killing has helped give police 'direction' in solving another murder ' of 42-year-old Mark Davis on June 10, 2007, only 300 yards from where Baez was shot.
'Our belief is that Perryman was involved in both of these murders,' said Fleming, who added that Perryman thus far has been charged only in connection with Baez's death, and that police are looking for other suspects in the Davis murder.
Fleming said that Davis, of Central Islip, who had been visiting friends at Old Mill Court, where he once lived, was ambushed on the night of his death. As he was pulling out of a narrow driveway in the housing complex, Fleming said, Davis was forced to stop to clear debris -' old furniture -' that had been left intentionally in the road to block him. He was approached by attackers waiting in the shadows, Fleming said, and was struck four times by bullets. 'He never got out of his car,' said Fleming.
Fleming declined to comment on how Perryman was linked to Davis's shooting, and did not identify him as a suspect, but said that Davis and Baez knew each other. The Davis investigation is ongoing, Fleming said.
John Duenges, executive director of the Rockville Centre Housing Authority said, 'To me, it's just a shame of life wasted ... it's depressing to see two young men, one murdered and the other the possible cause of it and it just turns out to be such a waste of life. I believe both were in their 20s. Hopefully, with our educational plans coming up, we can start diverting some of these young men and women into a greater future for themselves through education.'
Duenges said that the housing authority, which was scheduled to host a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the first phase of a $33 million revitalization of all 154 apartments in the 35-year-old Old Mill Court complex on Tuesday, is working with Molloy College ' specifically Dr. Lisa Newland ' to develop social services and education and computer programs for residents of the housing community and the affiliated senior complex, Rockville Manor, on Merrick Road. Duenges said he hopes these plans will 'turn the heads of the young men and women in the development with something they will enjoy that will help them in the future.'
Duenges also described some tension in the 6-acre Old Mill Court complex between members of the Baez and Perryman families, and other people from outside the community who he said were arguing on the day after the arrest. But he added that he thought tensions 'were subsiding.' Duenges said he hoped that someday the families would be able to console each other over the tragedy they have both suffered.
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