Ridge man pleads guilt to murdering East Meadow man

A Ridge man pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to the murder of a 39-year old East Meadow man that took place on Nov. 19, 2016.

Vincent Dalton, 52, was arrested on Nov. 23 for tying up and brutally bludgeoning Erik O’Connell inside of a Hicksville motel room, according to police. Motel staff found O’Connell hog-tied on the floor of a room inside the Econo Lodge. Police said that he appeared to have died from blunt force trauma to the head. A weapon was never recovered.

Dalton and O’Connel were seen on surveillance video walking in and out of The Headliner Bar, just half a mile from the motel, the night of the murder. Additional surveillance video showed the two walking into the motel room together and, at 3 a.m., Dalton leaving alone.

An investigation found that Dalton stole O’Connell’s credit cards and tried to use one at a local McDonald’s and a nearby Brentwood deli.

Dalton pleaded guilt before the Nassau county Supreme Court to second-degree murder. He is due back in court on March 20 and will face 23 years to life in prison, according to his attorney Brian Carmody, who operates out of Garden City.

“Thanks to surveillance video and good police work by the Nassau Police Department, we have brought him to justice,” said Nassau County DA Madeline Singas.

—Brian Stieglitz