Westchester Man Indicted in Shooting Death of Rape Suspect

A Westchester man was arraigned on manslaughter and murder charges Friday in what prosecutors are calling a vigilante shooting death of a rape suspect two years ago.

David Carlson, 43, is accused of shooting Norris Acosta-Sanchez in the driveway of his town of Deerpark home in October 2013. 

Prosecutors say the two men knew each other: Carlson encountered Acosta-Sanchez near his home in August of 2013 and they became friendly. Carlson hired Acosta-Sanchez to do odd jobs on his property and paid him with food, and he and his wife even took Acosta-Sanchez shopping. Over time, Acosta-Sanchez gave Spanish lessons to Carlson's children. 

Then on Oct. 5, 2013, Carlson learned Acosta-Sanchez was wanted by police in Rockland County on a second-degree rape warrant involving a 14-year-old girl, according to prosecutors. Carlson contacted police. 

Four days later, state police pulled over Acosta-Sanchez in a traffic stop near Carlson's home, and Acosta-Sanchez ran out of the vehicle and ran into the woods, escaping police.

On the morning of Oct. 11, Acosta-Sanchez knocked on Carlson's front door. Carlson grabbed a loaded pump-action shotgun and confronted Acosta-Sanchez, prosecutors said, and marched him from the driveway in hopes of alerting a neighbor to the situation.

He then alerted a second neighbor.

At some point in their interaction, Carlson shot Acosta-Sanchez in the arm and then shot him a second time in the head, according to prosecutors.

Carlson was arrested on a second-degree murder charge at the time.

His next court date in April 20. He was in jail on $100,000 bail and not available for comment. Attorney information wasn't immediately available. 

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