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New Yorkers have turned a Long Island nail salon where a newlywed NYPD cop and three others were mowed down Friday into a community memorial — as new details emerge about the accused drunk driver charged with their senseless deaths.
Steven Schwally, 74, already had at least one drunken driving conviction on his record following an arrest on March 25, 2013 — but pled guilty and got a slap-on-the-wrist three-year probation.
He also had an arrest in 2001 but details of that case were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, neighbors and strangers alike have flocked to Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park where Schwally is now accused of plowing into the building and leaving a trail of death.
On Sunday, rows of flowers and candles piled up outside the boarded-up storefront in memory of off-duty NYPD Police Officer Emilia Rennhack and three others who were killed in the tragic afternoon crash — Jiancai Chen, 37, Yan Xu, 41 and Meizi Zhang, 50.
Nine others were injured, including a 12-year-old girl, when cops said Schwally plowed his SUV into the small shop.
He has been charged with drunk driving and is expected to face other charges.
Rennhack, 30, who married fellow NYPD cop Carl Rennhack in September, was having her nails done in anticipation of a friend’s wedding that night, according to sources.
“Emilia was a great cop and an even better person,” one cop told The Post. “She always went the extra mile to help cops and everyday people that she came across.
“‘No’ wasn’t in her vocabulary,” the officer said.
Born Emilia Kowalczyk, the young cop graduated from International High School in Prospect Heights and went on to attend the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she played soccer for the school’s Bloodhounds sports teams.
She joined New York’s Finest in 2018 and was most recently assigned to the 102nd Precinct in Queens.
She married Det. Carl Rennhack on Sept. 7 in Baiting Hollow on Long Island.
On Friday, Rennhack was at the nail salon on Grand Boulevard around 4:30 p.m. when the SUV plowed into the shop, killing or critically injuring more than a dozen customers and employees.
Sources said Schwally was driving aggressively and yelling from behind the wheel before the crash.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Police Officer Rennhack, whose life was taken too soon,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said on X.
“We offer our support to Emilia’s family, friends and co-workers during this incredibly difficult time,” Caban wrote. “Please keep our officers and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
In another post, Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, also offered his condolences.
“My deepest prayers and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Officer Emilia Rennhack, who was hit and killed while off duty by a drunk driver in a senseless car crash,” the mayor said.
“It is never easy to get word that we have lost one of our own dedicated public servants — no matter the circumstances,” he said. “Rest in peace, Officer Rennhack.”
A wake will be held for the fallen cop on Friday at the New Hyde Park Funeral Home on Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park, followed by a funeral service at noon on Saturday at the home.
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