Sep 14, 2006 5:27 pm US/Eastern
L.I. Man Charged With Manslaughter In Teen's Death
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (CBS/AP) ―
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Long Island fatal shooting victim Daniel Cicciaro.
CBS
A man accused of shooting and killing a teenager who had followed his son home after a dispute at a party pleaded not guilty Thursday to a count of second-degree manslaughter.
His lawyer said the shooting was accidental.
The owners of the Sound Beach home where the party took place were charged with a misdemeanor, allowing alcohol to be served to minors. Prosecutors said the victim, Daniel Cicciaro, 17, of Port Jefferson Station, had a blood-alcohol reading of .15, nearly double the legal limit, when he was fatally shot.
Cicciaro was killed after suffering a single gunshot to the face following a dispute outside the Miller Place home of John White and his 19-year-old son, Aaron, police said.
White, 53, initially was charged with second-degree murder, but a grand jury that reviewed the case and interviewed 18 witnesses determined the shooting was the result of recklessness, said Robert Clifford, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota.
White, who had been held without bail, was released on $100,000 bail following Thursday's court appearance. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. The pistol used in the shooting, a .32-caliber semiautomatic Beretta, was unlicensed, Clifford said.
Police believe the altercation began when Aaron White was asked to leave a party on Aug. 9 in Sound Beach because he was not invited. A teenage girl at the party also made accusations that White had previously written vulgar remarks about her in an Internet chat room, police said, possibly adding to the intensity of the dispute.
After White left the party, a series of cell phone calls between him and Cicciaro escalated the argument.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Cicciaro and four friends arrived at White's home, where they were met by the teenager and his father, who were exiting their garage. The younger White was armed with a shotgun, and his father was carrying a handgun, police said.
As the dispute deteriorated, Cicciaro was shot once in the face by the elder White, police said.
White's attorney, Paul Gianelli, said his client was awakened by his son, who told him of the phone conversations with the other teens. Gianelli described the teens as "drunk and extremely aggressive."
Gianelli also said the victim was shot after he lunged at White's weapon.
"The gun went off by accident," Gianelli said.
Also arraigned Thursday were Craig Martin Sr. and Susan Martin, both of whom were charged with unlawfully dealing with a child. Prosecutors said witnesses saw the victim and other teens participating in drinking games at the party in the Martins' backyard. Their attorney had no comment Thursday.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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