Authorities Work To Determine Motive In Shooting Death Of Uniondale Father

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A suspect is under arrest in connection with the first murder in Nassau County this year.

Now, police are trying to determine the motive for the shooting of a father outside of his Uniondale home.

As 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported, 37-year-old German Ismael Saravia Melendez, an immigrant from El Salvador, was gunned down on Monday night.

Shotspotter picked up the shooting and police were dispatched to the area of Macon Place and Irving Place around 9:45 p.m., police said. A separate 911 call was also placed reporting shots fired.

"I was in my living room and laid down and I heard four or five shots," said one neighbor, who added it's the first time he's heard gunshots in the 12 years he's been living there.

Authorities who arrived on the scene found Melendez with several gunshot wounds to his left side. He was pronounced dead by a Nassau County ambulance medical technician.

Police said the victim and the shooter, 35-year-old Joel Ayala Deras, had an ongoing beef with each other, D'Auria reported.

As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, the victim's tearful cousin called the killing incomprehensible.

"Good friend to me. I don't know why," Noe Francisco said.

On Monday night, candles were at the curb where Melendez fell. The bullets that struck him were allegedly fired by Deras, a man from his adult soccer league.

Witnesses said Melendez had been shoveling snow, right after parking his contracting truck that he was so proud of.

"It's crazy because I don't know what happened, because the guy working moving the snow supposed to come into the back of the house," Raphael Tegues said.

Police credited the quick arrest to the ShotSpotter program, a description of the getaway car from a witness, and honest police work after officers spotted a vehicle that matched the description.

"It was ShotSpotter activation that gave us a great location. It was the witness who puts it, but most importantly it was the cops," Nassau Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter told reporters, including WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs.

Police recovered a pistol grip shotgun, and two semi-automatics in the alleged getaway car.

A friend of Melendez said he was a hard working guy who sent money back to his 14-year-old son in El Salvador.

"Very nice guy, a good father, a hard worker," he said. "I think he used to do construction."

Deras is charged with second-degree murder.

Police first tested the ShotSpotter technology in Uniondale 7 years ago, now the community has 64 acoustic sensors to help solve crimes.

Authorities said the shooting was not gang related, but believed to be a personal vendetta. Neither the victim nor the suspect has any prior arrests.