by Jerry Burke
An hour later, after being brought to Mercy Medical Center, Naverette was pronounced dead.
Police say the alleged shooter, 23-year-old Mario Flores of Amityville, fled the scene and was arrested less then five hours later, hiding in a Copiague motor lodge.
According to Lt. Dennis Farrell of the Nassau County Homicide Squad, both Naverette and Flores were romantically involved with 27-year-old Lesly Santiago. According to friends of the couple, Naverette and Santiago had been together for about four years.
Police say Santiago, who had lived with Naverette, began seeing Flores about four months ago, though one of Naverette's friends said that Santiago and Naverette were thinking of getting married.
Since Naverette discovered the relationship, police said, he and Flores had had several confrontations, though police were never called.
Farrell said the events leading up to last Wednesday's shooting began at 4:25 p.m. According to the police account, Flores, Santiago and another male friend drove to the Lakeview home of a babysitter to pick up Santiago's 7-year-old daughter.
A few minutes later, Naverette arrived at the Lakeview home, pulled his car in front of Flores's, got out and approached the driver's side of his rival's car. A witness to the scene, who did not give her name, said Naverette was "very angry and shouting in Spanish."
"About a second later," said the witness, "I heard two shots and I ran inside."
Police say Flores was in possession of a .38 caliber revolver and shot Naverette twice through his car window. The two shots hit the victim, once in the head and once in the stomach. As Naverette fell to the ground, Farrell said, Flores exited his car and shot Naverette one last time.
Flores fled the scene, and police say he drove back to his Amityville home. Then, leaving his car behind, he traveled to Copiague, where the Homicide Squad, assisted by the Nassau County Bureau of Special Operations and officers of the Suffolk County Police Department's Emergency Services Unit, arrested him outside the South Bay Motel on Montauk Highway.
Flores was charged with second-degree murder and was arraigned in Hempstead on Thursday, Feb. 13. He is being held without bail.
A spokesman for Rumba Sky, the popular Hempstead nightclub that Naverette owned along with three friends, said that Naverette would be missed. "He was a great guy, and a good father," said the spokesman. Police say Naverette left behind two children.
Police are still investigating whether Flores had any assistance in escaping to Copiague. Anyone with any further information on the case is asked to call Crime-Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
