After a three-week investigation into the death of 27-year-old Justin Gottlieb, the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) have arrested two individuals who were already accused of murder in New Jersey.
Twenty-two-year-old Douglas Coudrey of Eastport and 21-year-old Kenneth Regan of Centereach were charged with second-degree murder and were arraigned last Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead.
The homicide took place on Jan. 14, when Gottlieb was shot twice in front of his home while sitting in his car.
“When we were investigating this case, we knew that Justin left his work in Jericho at 5:17 p.m. at night,” Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, who is the head commander of the NCPD homicide squad, said. “From 5:17 to 5:32 p.m., something happened on the road between these two individuals on the road and Gottlieb. We summarized that it was some sort of road rage incident between them.”
Between Jan. 15 and 18, the two suspects were also involved in a second murder in New Jersey. According to police, the pair are being accused of shooting and killing an individual on I-80, as well as injuring another individual who was in the victim’s vehicle.
“On Jan. 22, these two individuals were arrested in Suffolk County,” Fitzpatrick said. “A 22-caliber semi-automatic pistol rifle was found in their vehicle. The weapon used to kill both people in New Jersey and Plainview was a nine-millimeter handgun. Ballistic reports connected that murder weapon to both crimes.”
It is believed that the defendants are connected to the Latin Kings, one of the largest Latino gangs worldwide. The pair were held without bail after they pleaded not guilty and are currently facing 25 years to life in prison.
