(FreedomBeacon.com)- The bodybuilder who was arrested in late December for shooting his parents inside their Long Island mansion was arraigned in Nassau County court on Monday for the charges of attempted murder, assault, and gun possession.
Dino Tomassetti, 29, broke down into tears during the proceedings while his parents looked on.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to police, on Christmas day, Tomassetti allegedly got into an argument with his parents, Rocco and Vincenza Tomassetti, who refused to let him take his 2-year-old son with him when he left their home. He is accused of shooting both his parents, then pistol-whipping his father after he ran out of bullets.
His son’s mother, Klarisa Perez, and the child both witnessed the attack.
Rocco Tomassetti was shot in the back and wrist, and Vincenza Tomasetti was shot in the head.
Tomassetti then fled the scene in a 2017 white Cadillac Escalade. State police tracked the vehicle using its OnStar GPS system. Troopers were able to slow the vehicle down remotely until it came to a full stop on Route 17.
Police then ordered Tomassetti out of the car and had him kneel on the ground with his hands behind his head while officers with weapons drawn checked the vehicle to confirm he had no accomplices.
Both of his parents survived their injuries. They were treated at a local hospital and later released.
In a statement after Tomassetti’s arraignment, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said his parents are “lucky to be alive today.”
Defense lawyer William Petrillo told reporters Tomassetti’s parents were “100 percent behind” their son. He noted Tomassetti’s tears during his arraignment and said it was a “highly emotional day” for both his client and his parents.
Petrillo would not say if Tomassetti’s parents are paying for his defense.
Dino Tomassetti has been held without bail. He faces a total of nine counts over the Christmas day incident, including endangering the welfare of a child and first- and second-degree assault.
