DEER PARK, Long Island (WABC) — A jury found Steven Schwally, the man accused of drinking and plowing his SUV into a Long Island nail salon, guilty Thursday on all charges, including four counts of second-degree murder.<\/p>\n
The deadly Deer Park crash happened in June 2024. Surveillance video captured the moment<\/a> when prosecutors say Schwally’s Chevy Traverse plowed through the front glass doors of the Hawaii Nail Spa as employees and customers sat inside.<\/p>\n The four victims included the owner of the salon Ken Chen, two employees, Yan Xu and Meizi Zhang, and Emilia Rennack, a 34-year-old off-duty NYPD officer.<\/p>\n People were crying and there were audible gasps in the courtroom as Schwally was found guilty on all charges.<\/p>\n And it was not only emotional for the family and friends who were there; some jurors could not hold back their tears as the verdict was read.<\/p>\n “We’re very thankful for the jury’s verdict today, they ratified the fact that this was not an accident, this was a crime,” said Allen Bode with the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.<\/p>\n Prosecutors say Schwally’s speech was slurred, eyes were bloodshot and his breath smelled of alcohol at the time of his arrest. Surveillance video shows him allegedly buying alcohol hours before the crash. The now 66-year-old’s blood alcohol content at the time was .17, according to prosecutors – more than twice the legal limit.<\/p>\n In court Thursday, the second day of deliberations, jurors heard a readback of Det. Brian Whitehead’s testimony.<\/p>\n He described Schwally’s statement after the crash from Good Samaritan Hospital. Schwally allegedly said he drank until 3 or 4 in the morning the night before and that he didn’t remember much about that day, but he did recall being in the nail salon in his car with the airbags deployed.<\/p>\n He was convicted later in the afternoon. Other charges included assault, aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI.<\/p>\n The 66-year-old was not in the courtroom as the verdict was read because he is currently in the hospital in intensive care, according to his attorney.<\/p>\n “What’s his demeanor with all this going on? He was very afraid, he had the heart attack because of the testimony,” said attorney Christopher Cassar. “He had the heart attack because of the lies that he heard in that courtroom about him.”<\/p>\n Schwally will be sentenced on Aug. 12. Prosecutors say they hope he is present for the sentencing so he can hear what the families have to say in the courtroom.<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n * More Long Island news<\/a><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/p>\n * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts<\/a> <\/p>\n * Download our connected TV app<\/a> <\/p>\n
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