Mastic man charged in choking death of girlfriend

A Mastic man choked his live-in girlfriend to death Saturday morning -- with their 7-month-old infant nearby, Suffolk County police said.

The man, Justin Miller, 35, was arrested and is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of the girlfriend, Teresa Heredia, 29, whom police said Miller choked with his hands.

The couple had been arguing in the Bullard Street home before the choking about 11 a.m., police said.

At some point, Miller sent a text message and then called his sister, who lives nearby. She then called the authorities, police said.

Heredia was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue.

Miller, who works for a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning company, has no history of violence, said Det. Lt. Gerard Pelkofsky, commanding officer of the police homicide squad.

In past months, the police had received one call to the couple's home over an argument about their child, Pelkofsky said. This dispute had been resolved before the police officers got to the home, he said.

Police said they were investigating what Saturday morning's argument was about.

Miller is scheduled to be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip.