Dix Hills man found dead with gunshot wound in house, police say

Police at the Penn Drive house in Dix Hills on Wednesday morning. Credit: James Carbone
A man found dead inside his Dix Hills house Tuesday evening was shot in the head, police said Wednesday.
Armindo Reis, 74, who lived alone in the house on a quiet cul-de-sac on Penn Drive, was found unconscious by his son at about 6:20 p.m., said Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, commander of the Suffolk police Homicide Squad.
The house did not appear to have been ransacked, said Beyrer.
“There was no forced entry,” he said. “With the lack of forced entry, it would suggest that it was someone who might have been known to him.”
Neighbors who hadn’t see Reis since Monday afternoon and were unable to reach him Tuesday became concerned and called his son, police said.
Reis’ neighbors, who spoke to the police, did not hear any gunshots, said Beyrer. He said an autopsy will determine how many times Reis was shot.
Leon Kweit, 81, who also lives on Penn Drive, said he was interviewed by police Tuesday evening.
Kweit said he told police that he went outside to get his mail about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and saw a young man, in his late 20s to early 30s, in Reis’ driveway, walking toward the street.
“I never saw him before,” Kweit said in an interview Wednesday. “He was walking out of the driveway, but there were no cars.”
Kweit didn’t think much of what he saw and went back inside his home. Several hours later, he said police informed him of Reis’ death.
“I don’t know how this could happen,” said Kweit. “It’s sad.”
Kweit, who had known Reis for about three decades since the family had moved into the house across the street, said Reis was a considerate neighbor.
One time, Kweit said he and his wife went out and their garage door was opened, and Reis came over and closed it.
“You see how caring he was,” said Kweit. “He was that kind of a fella.”
Reis, who owned a contracting business, had retired for several years, according to police and Kweit.
“You didn’t see a lot of him because he had a girlfriend who has a son and he [Reis] was there a lot of the time,” said Kweit. “But, he was here from time to time, doing his gardening.”
Police were canvassing the neighborhood on Tuesday, looking for home surveillance cameras, said Beyrer.
“We’re looking into his background right now,” said Beyrer of the victim. “We’re not ruling anything out.”
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