A man seriously injured his estranged wife’s friend with a machete before fatally shooting himself in Bellport early Wednesday morning, Suffolk police said.
Hernan Rodriguez, 34, of East Patchogue broke into the Harrison Avenue home of his estranged wife, 31-year-old Rosa Santos, and got into an argument with her friend, Marlin Aguilar, 22, of Central Islip, at 12:37 a.m.
Rodriguez, who was armed with a handgun and a machete, threatened Santos and their 15-year-old daughter, then used the machete in the fight with Aguilar.
“The injuries to Mr. Agular were very severe,” said Detective Sgt. Bryan McMenemy of the 5th Squad. “He received number deep lacerations to his face and his left ear was almost completely severed.”
Aguilar was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was admitted in critical condition to the intensive care unit.
Rodriguez fled the scene and was later found dead on nearby Farber Drive with what appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to talk to him,” McMenemy said, so Rodriguez’s motives remain unclear.
The wife and daughter were not injured.