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Man Hit By Car On Long Island Expressway Now Charged With Murdering Girlfriend
Mark Small, who was hit by a car on the Long Island Expressway last week, has been charged in the murder of his girlfriend, Marivel Estevez. Police say he was fleeing the murder scene when he was struck.
A New York man allegedly gunned down his girlfriend at her upscale apartment building in Long Island, officials said, and then got hit by a car trying to flee.
Mark Elvis Small, 55, is charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of 39-year-old Marivel Estevez, according to a Nassau County Police Department press release. Small also faces an additional criminal possession of a firearm charge.
Police were dispatched to Estevez’s luxury apartment building at 140 Old Country Road in Mineola — about 26 miles east of New York City — for a welfare check at approximately 11:15 a.m. on July 30. Upon arrival, authorities found Estevez shot inside her bedroom at the luxury complex. She was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics.
Estevez had last been seen leaving work in the leasing office of her building on the evening of July 28, WABC reported.
The same night, Small was captured by surveillance footage entering his girlfriend’s apartment, according to the outlet. His key fob also placed him at the building around the time of her death, investigators said.
Detectives suspect that, after killing his girlfriend, Small stole her dog — a Maltese named Tuffy — and her car, then fled the scene.
But, he was allegedly involved in a two-vehicle accident on the Long Island Expressway (LIE) shortly after fleeing the murder, police said. Then, according to law enforcement, Small exited the stolen car alongside the highway and was hit by different passing vehicle.
"At approximately Exit 37, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a box van,” Police Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said. (Exit 37 is one of the nearest exits on the LIE to the building where Estevez lived.)
“While he was awaiting for police arrival, Mark looked to exit the vehicle," he added. "As he exited the vehicle, the dog jumped out. Mark went to get the dog so it didn't get hit by a car. It didn't get hit by a car. Mark got hit by a car."
Small was hospitalized with bone fractures and stayed in intensive care for several days, according to Newsday. He was charged in Estevez's murder and Monday and arraigned upon his release on Wednesday.
The dog has not been found, according to the paper.
Small and Estevez dated for approximately two years, per WABC. According to loved ones, the couple’s relationship was turbulent, and police said Estevez recently expressed a desire to break up with Small and move to Tampa.
A GoFundMe has generated more than $10,000 in funds to help cover the woman’s funeral expenses. The online fundraiser described Estevez as a “loving daughter, sister, aunt and friend.”
“She was a breath of fresh air with a smile that would light up any room,” the page stated.
Small had owned the Caribbean eatery Grotto Restaurant in Rockville Centre in the Town of Hempstead until it closed recently, according to the New York Post.
No further information was immediately available from authorities. A spokesperson for the Nassau County Police Department didn’t immediately respond to Oxygen.com’s questions surrounding the open case Wednesday morning.
It’s unclear if Small has retained legal counsel to comment on his behalf. He is being held at a Nassau County detention facility, according to online jail records.
Anyone with additional information is urged to submit an anonymous tip via Nassau County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-244-TIPS.
