A Mastic woman was arrested on a drug possession charge last Thursday during a traffic stop in Northampton, according to Southampton Town police.

Kerri Dressler, 31, was stopped on Moriches-Riverhead Road and during an interview police found she had signs of drug use on her hand, according to authorities. Police searched her and found a metal crack pipe, hypodermic needle caps, a hypodermic needle and a glass crack pipe containing crack cocaine, police said.

Police also searched two passengers, finding no other narcotics.

Ms. Dressler was charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance, police said.

• A Riverhead man was caught using a different name when asked by New York State Police to identify himself during a traffic stop for multiple violations Sunday in Riverside, according to police.

Luis De Leon, 30, was traveling north on Riverleigh Avenue when he was stopped by police, authorities said.

He was charged with false impersonation, a misdemeanor, police said.

• Albert Boyle, 59, of Flanders was arrested for driving while intoxicated Sunday on County Route 104 in Southampton after he was found to be impaired by alcohol during a traffic stop, according to state police.

• A Riverhead man reported to police last Friday that his mailbox had been destroyed, police said. He told police he knew the man who broke it then fled. Police described the caller as “uncooperative,” as he did not elaborate why there would be some sort of dispute or provide the suspect’s real name or address, police said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Southampton Blotter: Traffic stop leads to drug arrest in Northampton appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Incumbents were unseated in fire commissioner races in Jamesport and Wading River Tuesday night, while Riverhead and Flanders saw quieter elections.

Jamesport voters elected newcomer Matthew Hattorff to a five-year term, ousting current board chairman Robert Sikora in a 127 to 77 vote.

The district faced some controversy this year when Jamesport firefighters were involved in a physical altercation at a fire scene in July that involved Commissioner Joseph Szot Jr., his son and Tom Brady, a former commissioner.

Mr. Hattorff said by phone Wednesday that several community members approached him about running for the board. “They wanted somebody who wasn’t associated with anybody,” he said. “They wanted somebody with a different outlook.”

Mr. Hattorff is not fire department member and never has been. For the last 31 years, he has worked for the Town of Riverhead and is a senior wastewater treatment plant operator. He also serves as president of the Riverhead chapter of the Civil Service Employees Association.

Winning by 50 votes, he said, was “humbling.”

John Newman was also elected Tuesday to a two-year term to fill the vacancy left by John Apicello’s early departure from the board. It was unclear why Mr. Apicello stepped down. Mr. Newman received 182 votes.

Mr. Hattorff said he and Mr. Newman have common interests in seeing some changes on the board, but they had not run together.

Barbara Blass, who served as a Riverhead Town councilwoman for eight years until 2009, ran unopposed for district treasurer and was elected to a one-year term with 162 votes.

She will fill the remainder of a three-year term held by Paul Epperlein, who died in April. District secretary Jessica

Harris has been serving as treasurer in the interim. Ms. Blass, who is retired, also serves as treasurer of Heidi’s Helping Angels, a nonprofit organization named for Heidi Behr, a Riverhead emergency medical technician killed in an ambulance crash in 2005.

Lastly, a proposition the board put on the ballot to change the treasurer from an elected position to an appointed one failed, 96 to 67.

Wading River

In a rematch of last year’s close vote in the Wading River Fire District, Michael Harrigan came out the victor this time. He defeated Randy Hintze Tuesday night by 145 to 96, a much wider margin than in 2016, when Mr. Hintze won a one-year term by just two votes.

Mr. Hintze’s 2016 win allowed him to serve out the remainder of the term of Thomas Lateulere, who died earlier that year. The election Tuesday was for a full five-year term. A total of 243 votes were cast, according to district secretary Steve Donnelly.

When Mr. Harrigan joins the board in January it won’t be his first time, as he previously served from 2014 to 2015.

Riverhead

Mark Conklin, vice chairman of the Riverhead Board of Fire Commissioners, was handily re-elected with 44 votes, secretary-treasurer Robert Zaweski reported. He ran unopposed for a five-year term. There were three write-ins; Tom Tobin received two votes and Robert DiLavore one.

Flanders

The Flanders fire chief will join the Flanders Fire District as a commissioner come 2018. John Lennon ran unopposed for a five-year term. Only 20 people turned out to vote, and Chief Lennon received 14 votes, secretary-treasurer Susan Kosinski said. Michael Spano, the current board chairman, was not seeking re-election, but received three write-in votes.

tkv@timesreview.com

The post Fire Commissioner incumbents ousted in Jamesport, Wading River appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Kathleen D’Eletto remembered her husband Thomas as a quiet and humble man in a tearful courtroom speech Wednesday.

They had been married more than 30 years when in 2015, a wrong-way driver crashed into Mr. D’Eletto on Sunrise Highway, killing the Aquebogue man on his morning drive to work.

“He was a dedicated, hardworking man and I will never recover emotionally,” Ms. D’Eletto said.

The driver responsible for Mr. D’Eletto’s death, Christopher O’Brien, was sentenced Wednesday to the maximum of 5 to 15 years by Judge Fernando Camacho in Suffolk County District Court in Central Islip. Mr. O’Brien, 56, of Port Jefferson Station, was convicted of manslaughter and driving while intoxicated in October for his role in the fatal crash, but was acquitted of second-degree murder by depraved indifference and reckless endangerment.

More than a dozen family members of Mr. D’Eletto filled the courtroom for the sentencing Wednesday, including his son Michael and daughter Christina Wesnofske.

“I’ve been mourning the life of my own identity, and I will never drive on Sunrise Highway again,” Ms. D’Eletto said. “Each second I knew I could count on my husband, but now I’m alone, not by my choice but by someone else’s.”

In a statement to Mr. D’Eletto’s family, Mr. O’Brien — who police said had a blood alcohol level of .17, more than double the legal limit of .08, along with levels of cocaine at the time of the crash — tearfully apologized for his mistakes.

“I take full responsibility,” he said. “I’ve used my time in incarceration productively, by going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and Bible study.”

Ms. Wesnofske found out she was pregnant with her second child in May 2016, and expressed her sadness that her father will never know his grandson. She named him Thomas in his honor. She recalled her brother Michael having to identify her father’s body on Christmas Day 2015 and how Christmas will never be a time of happiness for their family again.

“On Christmas Eve 2015, we were supposed to be celebrating my baby’s first Christmas, but instead we picked out my father’s casket and wrote a eulogy,” Ms. Wesnofske said in her statement.

She implored Judge Camacho to give Mr. O’Brien the maximum sentence.

“My parents will never retire together, my own children will never know their grandfather,” she said. “He’s dead and you killed him.”

The D’Elettos had three children, one of whom died eight years ago when he was 13 years old.

Christopher O’Brien was sentenced in Judge Fernando Camacho’s courtroom at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday. (Credit: James Carbone/Newsday)

Marc Lindemann, assistant district attorney, referred back to the trial where witnesses recalled Mr. O’Brien “terrorizing” multiple roads by driving the wrong way. He said he could have killed several different people, and ultimately killed Mr. D’Eletto. He asked the judge to give him the maximum sentence.

“When he learned he had killed another human being, his thoughts did not go out to the family,” Mr. Lindemann said.

Mr. O’Brien’s attorney said he knows he deserve to be punished, but asked the judge to take his military service into consideration. He said he was in the U.S. Army and was injured in a parachuting accident, leaving Mr. O’Brien addicted to painkillers. He also took care of his mother before the accident.

Judge Camacho said the fact that Mr. O’Brien is a veteran is not significant in this case, calling him disgraceful, because there are plenty of veterans who don’t drink and drive.

“Maybe I’m naive, but I really do think that strength like Tom had doesn’t just go away,” Judge Camacho said to Mr. D’Eletto’s family. “It lives on in the memories. I pray that one day those memories will help you find peace.”

He added that the only just sentence was the maximum one.

“There are two very different people involved, Thomas and Chris,” Judge Camacho said. “Thomas was strong, responsible and a dedicated husband and father. Chris, your entire adult life you have been irresponsible. Your only goal was your next high.”

“We’re happy to hear he got the maximum sentence,” Ms. Wesnofske said. “The past two years have been a living nightmare. We’re looking forward to the court system coming to an end, so we can move on.”

“This is our new normal, the pain of losing him is a constant in our lives,” Ms. D’Eletto said. “A tidal wave of pure emotion takes over me at least 30 times a day.”

Top photo caption: The family of Thomas D’Eletto, his son Michael D’Eletto, his wife Kathleen D’Eletto and daughter Christina Wesnofske, hold a picture outside the courtroom. (Credit: Rachel Siford)

rsiford@timesreview.com

The post Wrong-way driver who killed Aquebogue man given max sentence appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Riverhead Town police arrested two Wading River residents for drug possession in Wading River last Thursday.

Ariel Breisacher, 25, and Daniel Breisacher, 33, were arrested for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument, both misdemeanors, and a violation following a Suffolk County Probation search at a Leonard Street home around 1:30 p.m., officials said.

• Police arrested Eric Jones on a felony charge of second-degree burglary at a Bayside Avenue home in Jamesport around 4:40 a.m. Friday, officials said.

• A Riverhead man was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Riverhead Saturday.

Cristobal Punay, 38, was involved in a motor vehicle accident on East Main Street around 1 a.m. and was found to be intoxicated, officials said.

Mr. Punay was arrested for DWI, resisting arrest and second-degree obstructing governmental administration, all misdemeanors.

• Thomas Fining was arrested for DWI and leaving the scene of an accident around 5:20 p.m. near Reeves and Roanoke avenues Friday, officials said.

• Police arrested Porfirio Camey for DWI and other vehicle violations following an accident around 7:30 p.m. on Middle Country Road last Thursday, officials said.

• Esteban Rodriguez was arrested last Wednesday around 7:20 p.m. on Old Country Road for second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and circumventing an interlock device, both misdemeanors, as well as numerous vehicle and traffic violations, officials said.

• A Riverhead man was arrested for stealing last Wednesday.

Jonathan Vacanti, 25, was arrested at police headquarters around 10:10 a.m. and charged with misdemeanor petit larceny, officials said.

• Nicole Letizia was arrested for misdemeanor petit larceny from Abercrombie & Fitch in the Tanger Outlet Center around 6:45 p.m. Monday, officials said. She was processed and released on cash bail and an appearance ticket, police said.

• Police arrested a Manorville man for driving with a suspended license last Thursday.

Joseph Kess, 34, was stopped for traffic violations around 12:05 p.m. on East Main Street and was arrested for misdemeanor second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, officials said.

• An unknown person reportedly removed approximately $7,000 worth of aluminum from Island International on Scott Avenue in Calverton around 3:05 p.m. last Thursday, officials said.

• An unknown man reportedly stole an iPad Air, valued at $650, from Target on Route 58 around 12:55 p.m. Friday, officials said.

• Police responded to an automatic alarm call at Riverhead Market & Grocery on Railroad Avenue around 9:47 p.m. Friday and discovered a customer was accidently locked inside the store and set off the alarm, officials said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Riverhead Blotter: Two arrested on drug possession charges appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Mattituck man who gave police a fake name, then tried to flee while in handcuffs, was arrested last Tuesday in Northampton, according to Southampton Town police. 

Maximilian Bonilla, 19, was parked at Wildwood Lake State Park when police approached his vehicle, authorities said. He at first gave a false name to prevent being arrested for an active warrant by Suffolk County police for second-degree robbery, police said.

When Mr. Bonilla was placed under arrest and seated on the ground in handcuffs, he fled on foot, police said. He was caught after a short foot pursuit, according to police.

Mr. Bonilla was charged with false impersonation, third-degree escape and second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, police said.

• A Flanders man was caught driving without a license Sunday after he failed to yield while driving onto Flanders Road, causing a police officer to stop short to avoid a collision, according to police.

Wilber Garrido, 29, was then pulled over for another traffic infraction and found to be driving with a license that had been suspended last year due to a DWI charge, according to police

He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.

• DeWayne Riddick, 30, of Hampton Bays was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Tuesday on Flanders Road in Riverside after he was found to be driving without a license, police said.

• A wrong-way driver on Riverleigh Avenue was arrested for drunken driving early Saturday morning, according to New York State police.

Edgar Chitay-Culajay, 36, was driving north in the southbound lane, police said. When police stopped him, officers found numerous empty and open, half-consumed beer cans inside the vehicle. Mr. Chitay-Culajay was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, police said. He failed a standardized field test and was transported to the Riverside barracks where he was found to have a .12 percent blood alcohol content, police said. He was arrested and is due in court Dec. 18.

The post Southampton Blotter: Mattituck man in handcuffs tries to run off appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A westbound Long Island Rail Road train struck a person on the tracks in downtown Riverhead Tuesday morning, according to the LIRR.

East Main Street was closed at Howell Avenue near the incident, which occurred at the rail road crossing at Riverside Drive and East Main Street at 10:25 a.m. The victim was conscious and transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, according to the LIRR. First responders reported the patient had a head injury.

A witness at the scene who said he knows the victim said the man was in a mobility scooter.

The train left Greenport at 9:43 a.m. and was due to Ronkonkoma at 11:06 a.m., according to the LIRR. Eight passengers were on the train, according to the LIRR and no one was hurt.

Buses were en route to Riverhead to accommodate customers to Ronkonkoma, stopping at Yaphank and Medford.

The train left the area shortly before 11:40 a.m. MTA police were on scene to investigate.

No further information was immediately available. Check back for more information as it becomes available.

Photo caption: Police on scene of the accident Tuesday morning. (Credit: Taylor K. Vecsey)

tkv@timesreview.com

The 9:43AM train from Greenport due Ronkonkoma at 11:06AM remains delayed east of Riverhead due to an unauthorized person on the tracks being struck by a train. Buses are en route to Riverhead to accommodate customers to Ronkonkoma, stopping at Yaphank and Medford.

— LIRR (@LIRR) December 19, 2017

The post LIRR train strikes person on the tracks in downtown Riverhead appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

An alleged drunken driver struck a utility pole, causing his car to catch fire and a power outage in the area for about three hours early Thursday morning in Flanders, according to Southampton Town police.

The driver, Rower Romeo Hernandez-Xajap, 18, of Flanders was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries, police said. No other injuries were reported.

Mr. Hernandez-Xajap struck the pole on Flanders Road near Bay Avenue at about 2: 30 a.m., police said. His car erupted in flames. The Flanders Fire Department  put out the fire in about five minutes, Flanders Fire Department Chief J.J. Lennon said.

Two parked vehicles in front of All Wright Electric and Flanders Heating & Air Conditioning were damaged, Chief Lennon said.  Two fire trucks responded to the scene along with police.

The utility pole was split at the base. The charred pole was still hanging from the wires during the Thursday morning commute. PSEG-Long Island restored power at about 5: 30 a.m., Chief Lennon said.

Mr. Hernandez-Xajap was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, according to police. He was still in the hospital as of Thursday morning.

Photo caption: A driver struck a utility pole on Flanders Road, sparking a fire and damaging two vehicles parked nearby. (Courtesy photo)

The post Cops: Drunken driver hits pole, sparks fire, damages parked vehicles in Flanders appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A 16-year-old boy behind the wheel of a vehicle reported stolen out of Riverhead was arrested Wednesday following a pursuit by vehicle, then on foot, according to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office.

The teen, who was not identified, was driving westbound on the Long Island Expressway at approximately 9 p.m. when he was spotted driving at a high rate of speed, according to police.

He failed to stop for police and exited onto northbound William Floyd Parkway and entered Brookhaven National Laboratory, police said. The driver then left his car, fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later, police said.

The driver was charged with possession of stolen property, unlawful fleeing, driving while impaired by a drug, resisting arrest and reckless driving, police said. He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Central Islip, according to police.

The post Cops: Teen in stolen vehicle arrested after fleeing police appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Three people were arrested during increased enforcement and checkpoints by the East End DWI Task Force overnight Friday into Saturday, according to Riverhead Town police.

Dawn E. Baker, 43, of Riverhead was arrested for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, police said, and was held for morning arraignment. Two additional drivers were charged with violations, one for driving while ability impaired and another for unlawful possession of marijuana. They were both released on appearance tickets, police said.

The checkpoints were conducted by Riverhead police, New York State police, Southold police and Shelter Island police.

The post Cops: DWI checkpoints lead to three arrests in Riverhead appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Calverton man who set his girlfriend on fire in May pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder Friday before state Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen, according to a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney.

Ryan Osborne, 30, will be sentenced to 10 years in state prison in exchange for the guilty plea. A formal sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2018.

Mr. Osborne had been indicted by a grand jury on eight counts in May following the incident when he poured kerosene on the 33-year-old victim and ignited it in an attempt to kill her. His guilty plea covers all eight counts, according to the DA.

Mr. Osborne was represented by a legal aid attorney.

The incident occurred May 17.

Police at the time said: “The victim was able to extinguish the flames on her person, but not prior to incurring burns to her lower legs, face and hands.”

A next-door neighbor, who was inside her house at the time of the incident, said she heard a woman screaming for help. The victim was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center and later transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, officials said.

joew@timesreview.com

The post Calverton man pleads guilty to attempted murder appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Albert Daniels, 37, was arrested at police headquarters around 6:50 a.m. and charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a court-ordered search warrant executed by the East End Drug Task Force.

• Police arrested a Riverhead man for drug possession last Thursday.

Police arrived at an Aldersgate Drive residence in Riverhead to sounds of a man yelling inside after receiving calls of a disturbance around 4:35 p.m., officials said. When they arrived they found Dale Menendez, 59, upset and he then reportedly ran into the kitchen, threw a glass pipe on top of the microwave and shoved both his hands into his jacket pockets. When officers asked him to remove his hands he reportedly wouldn’t comply and was then placed in handcuffs. When asked if he had anything illegal on him he admitted to having meth. He was then found to have a clear zip-lock bag containing a clear crystal rock-like substance and 25 fragments of Alprazolam in his right pocket, officials said.

He was charged with two counts of misdemeanor seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and released on a desk appearance ticket.

• A Lake Grove man was arrested for stealing from Home Depot in Riverhead Monday.

Robert Madigan, 52, attempted to remove $400 worth of merchandise from the Route 58 store around 1 p.m. without paying for the items, officials said.

He was arrested for misdemeanor petit larceny and released on $500 bail.

• Police arrested a Greenlawn man for stealing from Target in Riverhead last Thursday.

Justin O’Toole, 44, was seen trying to leave the Route 58 store without paying for 51 packs of Pokémon cards, valued at $225, when store security apprehended him around 3:50 p.m., officials said.
He was charged with misdemeanor petit larceny and released on $100 bail.

• A Patchogue man was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Riverhead last Thursday.
Anthony Congema, 29, was stopped on Route 58 around 6:30 p.m. and found to have a suspended license.

He was charged with misdemeanor second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and multiple violations.

• Police arrested Kimberly Delrio for misdemeanor second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and multiple violations around 7:45 p.m. on Reeves Avenue Saturday, officials said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Riverhead Blotter: Man arrested on weapons possession charge Friday appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Flanders man was arrested last Tuesday after he allegedly pulled out a gun and held it to a woman’s head while she was sitting in her vehicle in her driveway, according Southampton Town police.

James Lennon, 36, reportedly approached the woman, who said she knew him, and “became irate” while asking her about an incident that had occurred the day before, police said.

On Dec. 11, a Flanders resident called police to report that he saw two men standing on his neighbor’s rear deck who appeared to be looking to enter the home, according to an incident report. The neighbor lost sight of the men and believed they were inside the house.

When officers, including a state trooper, arrived, a 13-year-old member of Mr. Lennon’s family opened the door. She told them no one was in the house but her, according to police. She was removed to a safe area and police conducted a sweep of the area and house. No one was found, police said.

One window at the rear of the house was lifted open and an insect screen was on the ground with apparent pry marks and appeared to be an access point for the suspects, according to police. Items in the home were said to have been displaced in an attempt to steal them, according to police.

The following day,Mr. Lennon allegedly went to the woman’s house, took out a black and silver handgun from his sweatshirt and held it to her head. He then got into his vehicle and drove off, according to police. He was later located at a nearby USA gas station.

Mr. Lennon was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a loaded firearm and second-degree menacing, according to police.

• Joseph Dowling, 25, of Sag Harbor was arrested on a drug possession charge last Wednesday at a gas station on Peconic Avenue in Riverside, police said.

When Mr. Dowling was stopped for a vehicle equipment violation, police noticed heroin in plain view on the floor of his vehicle, according to police. A small quantity of heroin was also located on Mr. Dowling, police said.

He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, police said.

• Taryn Murray, 29, of Riverhead was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Wednesday at the Suffolk County jail in Riverside after she was stopped for a driving violation, police said. Police found she was driving with a suspended license, police said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Southampton Blotter: Gun charge for man in Flanders incident appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Flanders man was arrested last Tuesday after he allegedly pulled out a gun and held it to a woman’s head while she was sitting in her vehicle in her driveway, according Southampton Town police. 

James Lennon, 36, reportedly approached the woman, who said she knew him, and “became irate” while asking her about an incident that had occurred the day before, police said.

On Dec. 11, a Flanders resident called police to report that he saw two men standing on his neighbor’s rear deck who appeared to be looking to enter the home, according to an incident report. The neighbor lost sight of the men and believed they were inside the house.

When officers, including a state trooper, arrived, a 13-year-old member of Mr. Lennon’s family opened the door. She told them no one was in the house but her, according to police. She was removed to a safe area and police conducted a sweep of the area and house. No one was found, police said.

One window at the rear of the house was lifted open and an insect screen was on the ground with apparent pry marks and appeared to be an access point for the suspects, according to police. Items in the home were said to have been displaced in an attempt to steal them, according to police.

The following day, Mr. Lennon allegedly went to the woman’s house, took out a black and silver handgun from his sweatshirt and held it to her head. He then got into his vehicle and drove off, according to police. He was later located at a nearby USA gas station.

Mr. Lennon was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a loaded firearm and second-degree menacing, according to police.

• Joseph Dowling, 25, of Sag Harbor was arrested on a drug possession charge last Wednesday at a gas station on Peconic Avenue in Riverside, police said.

When Mr. Dowling was stopped for a vehicle equipment violation, police noticed heroin in plain view on the floor of his vehicle, according to police. A small quantity of heroin was also located on Mr. Dowling, police said.
He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, police said.

• Taryn Murray, 29, of Riverhead was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Wednesday at the Suffolk County jail in Riverside after she was stopped for a driving violation, police said. Police found she was driving with a suspended license, police said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

The post Southampton Blotter: Man arrested after allegedly pointing gun at woman’s head appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Police arrested a man they said burglarized a Riverhead barber shop on Christmas day. 

A 911 caller reported someone was attempting to break into Eddy’s Hi Class Dominican Barber Shop at 147 Griffing Avenue on Monday at 11:58 a.m., according to a press release from Riverhead Town police. Responding officers arrived to find Jose Maysonet, 52, leaving the barber shop with proceeds taken from inside. Police did not disclose what those proceeds were or where Mr. Maysonet resides.

Mr. Maysonet was taken to police headquarters where he was charged with burglary in the third degree, a felony. He is being held for arraignment.

No further information was immediately available.

Detectives were called to the scene and continued the investigation.

Photo caption: Jose Maysonet was arrested after allegedly breaking into a barber shop in Riverhead on Christmas Day. (Credit: Riverhead Town Police Department) 

The post Cops: Man breaks into Riverhead barber shop on Christmas Day appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The defendant in a fatal 2013 Flanders home invasion accepted a plea agreement two weeks into his murder trial after his attorney learned that a prosecutor had failed to turn over more than 100 pages of notes related to the investigations — including evidence that others had confessed to the killing.

Rather than allow the trial to proceed further and risk losing a conviction, the district attorney’s office offered Messiah Booker a plea deal, which he accepted. Mr. Booker is now serving five years on a reduced charge of second-degree burglary related to the Jan. 27, 2013, shooting of 21-year-old Demitri Hampton. The second-degree murder charge Mr. Booker previously faced, which carried a possible life sentence, was dismissed.

Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge John Collins said in court that it was apparent there was “serious misconduct in the prosecution of [Mr. Booker].”

Mr. Hampton’s mother, Juanita Trent, sobbed as she left the Riverhead courtroom that afternoon, escorted by her other son, Jamal Davis.

“My heart is broken,” Ms. Trent wrote in a handwritten statement to the News-Review after learning of the plea deal.

Robert Clifford, a spokesman for former District Attorney Thomas Spota, immediately issued a statement calling the conduct of the prosecutor, Glenn Kurtzrock, “inexcusable.”

The district attorney, who would later resign himself after being arrested for misconduct in an unrelated case, asked for Mr. Kurtzrock’s immediate resignation and he complied. He is now working as a criminal defense lawyer.

Three co-defendants, who were to be tried separately, also accepted plea deals and will each serve between three and eight years in prison. Like Mr. Booker, they too had at one time faced possible life sentences.

Photo caption: Ms. Trent and Mr. Davis sit on a bench dedicated in Demitri’s honor by Suffolk County Community College. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

gparpan@timesreview.com

The post Top Stories 2017: Abrupt ending to murder trial appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Riverhead Fire Department volunteers battled a blaze that destroyed a mobile home in Calverton Wednesday morning. 

A woman was alone in her home in the Lakewood Mobile Home Park when it caught fire around 11 a.m., the manager of the park said.

The woman, who lives in the River Road home with her husband, escaped without injury, according to officials at the scene.

No other additional information was immediately available.

Top Caption: An aerial view of Wednesday’s fire. (Credit: Vinny Bologna/LiHotShots)

Riverhead firefighters battle the blaze. (Credit: T.J. Lambui/liHotShots)

The post Calverton mobile home destroyed in fire; resident uninjured appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Police are offering a cash reward for help to identify a man who allegedly stole a television from a Riverhead store this summer. 

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and the Riverhead Town police released an image Thursday of a man from security footage on Aug. 28. They said he tried to steal two Samsung 43-inch televisions from the Walmart at 1890 Old Country Road at about 8:30 a.m. Store security confronted him and recovered one of the televisions, but he fled with the other one.

Crime Stoppers offers up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

The post Cops seek public’s help to identify man who allegedly stole from Riverhead Walmart appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Riverhead police officer was involved in an accident while responding to an emergency call in Wading River on Thursday afternoon. 

Police Officer Christopher Pendzick was traveling north on Hulse Landing Road when he tried to pass a 2003 Infinity G35, driven by 19-year-old Benjamin Simone of Wading River, on the left while using his emergency lights and sirens, according to a statement from police. Mr. Simone, police said, tried to turn his Infiniti to the left onto 20th Street and the two vehicles collided at 2:14 p.m.

The cars left the road, hit a small shed and a house at 118 20th Street, before coming to rest in the side yard, police said. While the house was occupied at the time, no one was injured.

Officer Pendzick and Mr. Simone suffered minor injuries and were taken by ambulances to Peconic Bay Medical Center. They were both later released.

Riverhead police detectives responded to the scene and conducted an investigation on scene. Any witnesses to the accident may contact the Detective Division at 631 727-4500 ext. 321.

The post Police cruiser, Infiniti collide, then strike house in Wading River appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Calverton couple who lost everything when their mobile home was destroyed by fire Wednesday is trying to get back on their feet thanks to the generosity of others. A GoFundMe page, started by a family friend soon after the blaze, has already raised over half its goal of $10,000.

Flames tore through the family’s home in Lakewood Mobile Home Park, where Ida and Carlos Flores lived for seven years, when it caught fire before 11 a.m. Andrew Smith, the Town of Riverhead fire prevention inspector, said Friday the cause of the fire was electrical and that it started in the dryer in the laundry room.

Ms. Flores, 77, was doing laundry before the fire broke out, and was at home with her sister Nydia Melendez, 75, who has been staying with the couple, unable to return to her home in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Speaking on behalf of her parents by phone on Friday, Liz Brecht of Manorville, said her mother put clothes in the dryer, went into her bedroom and within minutes the fire alarm went off. She yelled for her sister, who was still in bed. They were able to escape without injuries before the mobile home became engulfed in flames.

“The fire alarm saved their lives,” Ms. Brecht said.

Photos taken inside the Flores home show complete devastation. (Credit: Courtesy of Danny Brecht)

The hardest part of the ordeal, she said, was that the couple lost a kitten they had just rescued from Kent Animal Shelter two months ago in the fire. Ms. Flores tried to find the little black kitten, named Fiona, when the fire broke out, but she was forced to flee her home before finding her; the smoke became too much to bear. She ran out of the house in her pajamas. All their photos, books, clothes, medicines and other possessions were destroyed, their family said.

“That’s what hurt her the most. She was taking time looking for the cat and not grabbing all of the poetry, memories and pictures she had of me and my cousins growing up,” Ashley Rastello, a granddaughter, said.

However, there was one chest among the rubble that survived, the family said. It held Ms. Flores’ mother’s pictures, documents, passports, which were all salvaged. 

Mr. Flores, who is 80, was out, going about his morning routine collecting food for his neighbors in need, his family said. He is a retired accountant and an Army veteran, his daughter said.

“He has built such strong relationships with his neighbors and with the local businesses who give him their leftovers,” Ms. Rastello said. “He walks to every home and drops off food to people who need it. When he was coming back, his home was no longer there.”

Ms. Flores is also involved in charitable activities, particularly volunteering with CAST by helping immigrant families. She is a retired teacher with Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Riverhead, according to her daughter. The couple came to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1973. They have four children and five grandchildren. They have been married for 55 years.

The Flores’ are staying in Manorville with their daughter, Ms. Brecht, for now. Ms. Melendez is staying with her daughter in Florida.

As of Friday afternoon, the fund raised $5,630.

“The amazing generosity of people has been overwhelming,” Ms. Brecht said. “We’re telling my father it’s karma. He has helped so many people and has gone out of his way for them.”

Ida and Carlos Flores, at left, seen here with family during happier times, are staying with their daughter since a fire destroyed their home. (Credit: Courtesy of Ashley Rastello.)

Top photo:Ida and Carlos Flores lost most everything they own to a fire on Wednesday. Credit: Danny Brecht.

The post GoFundMe started for Calverton couple who lost everything in fire appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Suffolk County District Attorney, Tom Spota was the top law enforcement official in the county, a position he held since 2001. 

But the 76-year-old Mount Sinai resident found himself on the wrong side of the law in late October, when he and a top aide were indicted on federal charges that they covered up an assault of a handcuffed suspect by former county Police Chief James Burke, who ended up in prison for his role in the assault.

Within days of the indictment, Mr. Spota, who had already announced he would not seek election earlier in the year, stepped down from his position as DA.

He and Assistant District Attorney Christopher McPartland — the chief of investigations and chief of the DA’s Government Corruption Bureau — both pleaded not guilty and were released on $500,000 bond, secured by their homes.

“While FBI agents were working to restore justice in a civil rights investigation, District Attorney Thomas Spota and Assistant District Attorney Christopher McPartland were conspiring to obstruct it,” said William Sweeney Jr., the assistant FBI director-in-charge, in a statement.

“The crimes they’re charged with are rivaled only by the conduct they allegedly attempted to conceal,” he said.

The assault took place Dec. 14, 2012, when a suspect was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing motor vehicles, including a vehicle owned by Mr. Burke.

The suspect, Christopher Loeb, was transported to the county police 4th Precinct, where he was taken to an interview room and handcuffed to a permanent fixture inside of the room, according to the indictment.

Later that day, Mr. Burke and other unnamed officers “entered the interview room and assaulted,” him, the indictment states.

Mr. Loeb later confessed to the burglary, but alleged that his confession was involuntary because he was assaulted by Mr. Burke, according to the indictment.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Emily Constant has taken over as interim DA, and, on Election Day, Democrat Tim Sini was overwhelmingly elected to be the new DA as of January.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota (Credit: File photo)

The post Top Stories 2017: District Attorney indicted, resigns appeared first on Riverhead News Review.