By Karenlyn Barone
Battaglia was walking home from the Lynbrook Long Island Rail Road Station, when confronted just yards from his front lawn. Part of a two-day robbery spree played out by Freeport residents, Moronta, Zuniga, Janny Paez, 21, Omar Delarosa, 19, and Marina Musso, 22, who drove the get-away car, Battaglia resisted and was stabbed by Delarosa and shot by Zuniga according to District Attorney Denis Dillon. After the brutal attack, Battaglia managed to make us way to the back door of his home where his wife found him unconscious.
Zuniga was the only suspect who did not plead guilty and his trial concluded last month. Musso, along with Moronta took the stand to testify against him and Zuniga was found guilty and now faces a possible 75 years in prison. His is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 16. Moronta was the first of the five to be sentenced.
Irving Singer of Hempstead, Moronta's lawyer, asked Nassau County Court Judge Jerald Carter to take into consideration his client's new wife and two small children. Carter conceded that Moronta may miss his family while serving his time, but that Battalia's family will never have the victim back.
When asked by the court if he had anything to say, Moronta muttered, "I'm sorry."
Comments about this story? Kbarone@liherald.com
