A 24-year-old Shirley man has pleaded guilty to murdering another man back in December 2020. In his statement Peter Pendzinski says he picked up 21-year-old Nathanael Rodriguez from his home in Bay Shore on December 26, 2020 at midnight and then shot the man in the head and neck five times, killing him.
No motivation for the murder was revealed.
Pendzinski drove to his home in Shirley with Rodriguez’s body still in the front passenger seat. At his house, Pendzinski put Rodriguez’s body in his backyard, covered him with leaves, poured gasoline on the body, and set him on fire to hide the evidence.
A neighbor called 911 to report smoke from an open fire at the residence.
According to a report from the Suffolk County DA’s office, when Suffolk County police officers responded to the location, they observed Pendzinski shoveling leaves onto an open fire. The officers asked if anyone was inside of the home, Pendzinski lied and said yes. While officers were attempting to gain entry into the home, Pendzinski moved Rodriguez’s burning body to the other side of the backyard. Officers realized what Pendzinski was doing and arrested him.
Detectives discovered the passenger side window of the Mercedes Benz that Pendzinski committed the murder in was damaged from the shooting. Police recovered a saw, a pair of pliers, and floor mats covered with blood in Pendzinski’s driveway, some of which contained Rodriguez’s DNA. Additionally, a Smith and Wesson handgun and a can of gasoline were recovered in a detached garage.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said that Peter Pendzinski pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder and other related charges, for fatally shooting Nathanael Rodriguez.
“This defendant brutally murdered Nathanael Rodriguez by shooting him in the head and neck and attempted to cover up his crimes by desecrating the victim’s body by setting it on fire,” said Tierney. “Thanks to the quick thinking of the Suffolk County first responders on scene, the defendant’s plan to cover up his crime was quickly foiled.”
Pendzinski is due back in court on May 17, 2024, and is expected to be sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
