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Dino Tomassetti Faces Attempted Murder Charges Stemming From Alleged Christmas Shooting Of Parents In Hewlett Harbor

HEWLETT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A personal trainer from Brooklyn was arraigned on Long Island on Wednesday on attempted murder charges. He's accused of shooting his parents on Christmas morning.

On quiet Seawane Drive in Hewlett Harbor, a sprawling estate was turned into a crime scene on Saturday.

READ MORESources: Victims' Adult Son Arrested In Hewlett Harbor Double Shooting

On Wednesday, 29-year-old Dino Tomassetti was escorted by police while in handcuffs to court. He is accused of shooting both of his parents with a .22-caliber gun during an argument over his infant son, CBS2's Kevin Rincon reported.

"It had to do with custody and taking the child Christmas morning. The man wanted to take his 1-year-old away from his parents and the natural mother, which he did not have custody to. That's when the argument started," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.

Police say soon after he shot his mother, 64-year-old Vincenza, in the head, and his 65-year-old father, Rocco, in the back, but he didn't stop there.

"He struck his father then in the head with the gun numerous times when he ran out of bullets," Ryder said.

The Christmas morning shooting could have been a whole lot worse. Police said the two victims were treated and released from a hospital days later.

As the parents continue their recovery, at the home CBS2 watched as food was unloaded from a van and brought to the front door. Not long after, a gift basket was delivered to the same house.

Meanwhile, in court, Tomassetti was arraigned on two counts of attempted murder.

Investigators say he fled from the home and was caught hours later in Mahway, New Jersey. He was extradited Wednesday morning.

As for his 1-year-old son, he's now in the custody of his mother.

CBS2's Kevin Rincon contributed to this report. Editor's note: This story was first published Dec. 29.

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