New York

16-Year-Old Charged With Murder in Christmas Shooting of Long Island Father

A 16-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder, and police are searching for a second suspect, after a Long Island father was shot to death on Christmas.

Rafael Cepeda, 35, died after he was shot multiple times on Christmas Day in Hempstead.

On Tuesday, police arrested 16-year-old Shameq Sullins and charged him with second-degree murder.

Sullins was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney.

Sullins allegedly acted as a lookout for a Bloods gang attack that mistakenly ended in the deadly shooting of Cepeda, police said. 

At a press conference Wednesday, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the shooting has devastated the victim's family. 

"He leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter because two individuals that are both Bloods members were shooting at a rival gang here in Nassau County," Ryder said. 

Authorities said they're still looking for the alleged shooter, 17-year-old Antoine Foster. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. 

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