Brother Arrested in Mysterious Death of Correction Officer and Father

A day after police discovered the bodies of a New York City correction officer and his father dead inside their Long Island home — and launched a search for the officer's mother — authorities charged the officer's brother Thursday with two counts of murder.

"I didn't do it," 24-year-old Dario Ormejuste told reporters as he was led from police headquarters to court for his arraignment on two counts of second-degree murder. The name of his attorney was not immediately known.

The bodies of Bob Ormejuste, 65, and his son, Guerby, 30, were discovered inside their Elmont home on Wednesday. Police were summoned after Guerby Ormejuste failed to report for two days to his job as a New York City correction officer.

Officers had initially found Bob Ormejust's body in the kitchen of the house, then exited and called for additional officers to the scene. While they were waiting, Dario Ormejuste walked out of the front door and lit up a cigarette, police said. Officers immediately questioned him and took him into custody, eventually charging him with the killings.

Guerby Ormejust's lifeless body was found in the basement of the home.

The suspect's mother, Rose, was not located and police said Thursday they have opened an active missing persons investigation. Guerby Ormejuste's 1998 Lexus also was missing from the driveway, police said.

"We are trying to be optimistic that we will find her," Detective Lt. John Azzata told reporters. He said alerts were being broadcast to patrol cars every 30 minutes and officers in several patrol cars were utilizing high-tech license plate scanners in search of the missing Lexus.

New York City Police have also been alerted, because Elmont borders the city line, police said.

Guerby Ormejuste was a three-year veteran of the Department of Correction and was assigned to Riker's Island, officials said. Preliminary indications show that he and his father were fatally shot with a handgun the officer obtained "for his law enforcement career," Azzata said. He added an autopsy would determine how many times each man had been shot.

The department issued a statement calling Ormejuste "a fine young correction officer with a bright career ahead of him. The department and all of its officers and staff are saddened by this family tragedy, and we mourn his loss."