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Middle Village man busted for firing shotgun at girlfriend had heroin stash in apartment: cops

Cops seized a shotgun, other weapons and heroin from the home of a Middle Village man following a domestic dispute last weekend.
Photo via Twitter/@NYPD104Pct

A Middle Village man who allegedly fired a shotgun at his girlfriend during an argument had quite a stash of weapons and drugs in his apartment, law enforcement sources said.

Lawrence Santucci, 45, got into the spat with the unidentified woman at her home on 68th Avenue near 75th Street at about 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 29, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said Santucci left the residence and returned moments later carrying a shotgun. A nearby security camera captured footage of Santucci allegedly carrying the weapon, then pointing it at the woman.

The criminal complaint noted that Santucci allegedly fired a shot during the incident, which struck a window frame and the siding of the house. Police recovered shotgun pellets at the scene.

Members of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad tracked down Santucci at his home, which is also on 68th Avenue. He allegedly told them that he had purchased the shotgun and wanted to try it out. During their visit, police observed a Mossberg 500A 12-gauge shotgun in a closet, as well as a quantity of heroin in plain view.

The NYPD subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant on Oct. 29 to fully search Santucci’s residence. In doing so, the criminal complaint noted, police recovered 70 glassine envelopes containing heroin located inside an open safe within a wardrobe closet; 10 glassine envelopes of heroin inside a TV stand drawer; a sword from the living room; a machete from the bedroom; and nine rounds of 12-gauge ammunition.

Santucci was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance; menacing; reckless endangerment; and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

According to a spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Santucci remains held on $35,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 13.

Captain John Mastronardi, commander of the 104th Precinct, took to Twitter on Nov. 1 to commend his officers’ work on the case.