Joseph Thomas, 47, of Riverhead was arrested outside Riverhead Burger King last Friday evening for DWI, police reports said.

Around 10:30 p.m., police observed Mr. Thomas failing to maintain his lane of travel on Old Country Road. He was stopped outside the fast food restaurant, where police conducted an investigation.

Mr. Thomas was arrested and charged with DWI. He was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters, where he was processed and held for arraignment. His vehicle was seized and impounded under Suffolk County law, reports said.

• Jon Velasquez-Estrada, 34, of Riverhead was arrested last Thursday morning near the Holiday Inn Express in Riverhead for false personation and a prior arrest warrant, police reports said.

Around midnight, Mr. Velasquez-Estrada was stopped on Old Country Road near the hotel for failure to use a turn signal.

Upon further investigation, police found Mr. Velasquez-Estrada had a warrant out for his arrest in Riverhead and Southampton Town, reports said.

Mr. Velasquez-Estrada was arrested and charged with four traffic violations for failing to maintain his lane of travel, failure to use a turn signal, driving without a license and driving without stoplights. He was also charged with false personation, a misdemeanor, and was transported to Riverhead police headquarters for processing.

• Franchesca Mendez, 28, of Riverhead was arrested outside the Greenview Motel in Riverhead for prostitution, police reports said.

Ms. Mendez was arrested Dec. 19 at 1433 W. Main St. at approximately 5:20 p.m. She was charged with a misdemeanor, processed, released and is due back in court for arraignment at a later date.

• A 23-year-old Brookhaven woman was arrested at the Riverhead Kentucky Fried Chicken for prostitution, police reports said.

Monisha Prior, 23, was arrested at approximately 6:19 p.m. Dec. 19 for the misdemeanor offense. She was processed, released and is due back in court for arraignment at a later date.

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 The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

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A woman was robbed at knifepoint as she left the Chase Bank in downtown Riverhead Friday evening, town police said.

The alleged victim, 63, said an unknown man approached her as she returned from the bank to her car in the rear parking lot. He showed her a knife and demanded her pocketbook, police said. He then fled west on foot with her belongings.

The pocketbook contained cash and a cell phone, according to police.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500.

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Update: Police identified the victim in the crash as 30-year-old Nicholas Ruitgliano of Manorville.

Southampton Town police reported a fatal single-vehicle crash just west of the jail on County Road 94 in Riverside Friday evening.

Police said they found an unresponsive male in an overturned sedan that had left the roadway and entered a wooded area off the roadway around 7 p.m. Friday.

The man, who was later reported dead, was trapped inside the vehicle and heavy rescue was used to remove him from inside.

The man’s identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

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A Riverside man died from injuries sustained during an altercation in the Riverhead area, according to Suffolk County police.

Wayne Sapiane, 65, reported to police that he was struck on the head by an unknown white man in the area of West Main Street in Riverhead on Jan. 2. Southampton and Riverhead police both responded to the incident.

Mr. Sapiane, who was homeless but living in Riverside, was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and later to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where he died Sunday, police said.

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death. An autopsy will be done by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact detectives at 631-852-6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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A Stony Brook man was arrested in Wading River Saturday evening for driving while intoxicated, police reports said. 

Andrius Valiunas, 29, was arrested after he allegedly struck a utility pole and attempted to leave the scene.

Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Wading River Manor Road at approximately 10:53 p.m. They found that the involved vehicle was damaged on the passenger side and the driver, Mr. Valiunas, was outside the car. Police found Mr. Valiunas was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. 

Mr. Valiunas was arrested for DWI, transported to Riverhead police headquarters for processing and held for arraignment. 

• Darren Jones, 32, of Calverton was arrested outside Christmas Tree Shops in Riverhead Saturday evening for criminal contempt, police reports said.

Around 5:30 p.m., a woman driving a 2000 black Acura sedan, allegedly failed to use a directional signal when changing lanes on County Road 58 near Kroemer Avenue. Reports said a traffic stop was then conducted, reports said. 

During the stop, reports said, police noticed the vehicle smelled of marijuana and observed Mr. Jones, the front seat passenger, with a quantity of green plant material on his lap. 

The woman told police an order of protection was established between herself and Mr. Jones. Police confirmed that information and Mr. Jones was placed into custody.

Further investigation revealed Mr. Jones had violated an order or protection with his son, who was a passenger in the rear seat.

Mr. Jones was transported to the Riverhead Police Department for processing, where he was charged with two counts of criminal contempt, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Reports said the woman later completed a domestic incident report at police headquarters, where she was issued traffic violations for improper child restraint and failing to signal when changing lanes. 

• Estabon Tonio Arp was arrested on East Main Street in Riverhead Monday evening for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reports said.

While on patrol, police observed a white Maserati traveling westbound on East Main Street near Hubbard Avenue with an expired New York State registration, police reports said. The registration expired Dec. 12, 2019. 

Further investigation revealed that the driver, Mr. Arp, had a suspended state license. 

Mr. Arp was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and two violations, for driving without a license and the expired registration. 

He was transported to Riverhead police headquarters and later released. He is due back in court at a later date. 

• Police are investigating two reports of grand larceny that occurred last month at the Riverhead Lowe’s, reports said.

Last Thursday afternoon, a Lowe’s employee reported that between 5:50 and 6:07 p.m. on Dec. 23, two unknown men removed two snow blowers from the store. The Ariens-brand deluxe, 30-inch machines were valued at $2,998, reports said.

A separate report from the same employee said that on Dec. 15 around 10:30 a.m., one unknown male removed 10 rolls of wire from the store without paying for them. The wire was valued at $1,421.97. 

Additional information on the suspects was not immediately available. The investigation is ongoing, reports said. 

• A Riverhead man was arrested on Northville Turnpike last Thursday for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reports said.

At approximately 7:24 p.m., Diego Diego-Pedro, 22, was arrested at the intersection of Northville Turnpike and Ostrander Avenue after allegedly leaving the scene of a two-car accident, reports said. 

Upon further investigation, police found Mr. Diego-Pedro was driving without a license.

He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident without reporting, a traffic infraction, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor.

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.

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UPDATE: Police said the teenager reported missing earlier has been located and was unharmed.

Original Story: Riverhead Town police are seeking the public’s help to locate a missing 16-year-old girl.

Jennifer Morales, who is Hispanic, 5-foot-2, approximately 160 pounds with brown eyes and long black hair, left a residence on East Main Street on Friday. No foul play is suspected, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500.

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Southampton Town police arrested Gilberto Velasquez-Vargas, 36, of Riverhead for driving with a suspended license in Aquebogue Saturday.

According to police, Mr. Velasquez-Vargas was stopped for speeding near Cross River Drive and Hubbard Avenue around 4:26 p.m. and an officer found his license had been revoked twice due to prior DWI convictions.

Mr. Velasquez-Vargas was also found to be operating the vehicle without a proper ignition interlock device, police said.

He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and circumventing a court-ordered interlock device, reports said.

• A Riverhead woman was arrested for drugged driving in Westhampton Beach last Thursday.

According to police, Miriam Heller, 36, was stopped on Montauk Highway near Oak Street for failing to maintain her lane of travel when an officer discovered she was in possession of an undisclosed amount of diazepam, a controlled substance.

Ms. Heller was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor.

• An officer responded to Riverside Drive on a report of an erratic driver around 11:44 a.m. New Year’s Day and arrested Jeremias Suruy, 32, of Flanders for driving while intoxicated.

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.

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Three officers who disarmed an emotionally disturbed man in a development off Middle Road last September were awarded Saturday as the Riverhead Police Benevolent Association Officers of the Year for 2019.

The annual honors were handed out to officers William Bianco, Giuseppe Rosini and Cameron Oswald in a ceremony Saturday at the Baiting Hollow Club.

“Our police officers chose to place their own safety aside to help a citizen of Riverhead,” said Riverhead Police Officer John Morris. “They moved into action without thinking of the possible consequences for their own safety.”

On Sept. 25, Officer Bianco was on routine patrol as was officer Rossini, who was training officer Oswald, according to Officer Morris.

At approximately 6:15 p.m., police received a 911 call of an emotionally disturbed and suicidal man holding a gun at a home on Sunken Pond Estates.

When the officers arrived, they were directed to an upstairs bedroom in one of the residences and officers Bianco and Rossini went up the stairs, while Officer Oswald continued to interview the witness to get more information, according to Officer Morris.

Officers Bianco and Rosini announced their presence as they entered in hopes that the man would surrender. The officers were then directed to the back of the property, where they saw a man sitting on a lawn chair with a rifle in his left hand.

The two officers then gave orders to drop the gun, but the man refused.

Officers Bianco and Rosini then ran toward the man and took him to the ground, while Officer Oswald responded and handcuffed him, according to Officer Morris.

The gun, a .22-caliber rifle, was secured, he said. The man was then taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, according to police.

Detective Charles Mauceri, the PBA president, said the actions of these three officers is emblematic of the department.

“Most of what we do is under-appreciated and overlooked,” he said.

The PBA also handed out other awards Saturday, including recognizing the retirement of Officer Kerri Davis and detectives Dixon Palmer and Frank Hernandez, who among the three of them combined to serve the community for more than a century.

“It’s going to be a challenging year with the ridiculous bail reform law and the new changes that have been implemented by New York State.”

Officer John Morris

Officer Daniel Hogan received the Dixon Palmer PBA Member of the Year award for his work with the PBA, where he often presents new ideas for Pprograms and sees them through to completion, Officer Morris said.

Departmental commendations were also given to:

• Sergeant Dino Isgro, who was involved in the arrest of a man who was charged with 11 residential burglaries.

• Officers Raymond Laporte, Michael Carrieri and Brian Clements, who were involved in the arrest of a suspect involved in 10 burglaries over a month.

• Officers Branden Heller, Giusippe Rosini and Sergeant Jon Devereaux, who worked to get an emotionally disturbed man to the hospital before he could injure himself.

• Officer Christopher Burns, who administered the Heimlich maneuver on a man who was choking.

• Officer Robert Sproston, who was recognized for his role in rescuing a child who nearly drowned on a beach in Jamesport before he grabbed the child and ran him to an ambulance.

• Officer Mike Mowdy, who helped an elderly woman recover money she was scammed out of in a phone scam.  

“2019 continued a very concerning trend of anti-police sentiment sweeping the nation,” Officer Morris said. “We fully expect 2020 to be no different. It’s going to be a challenging year with the ridiculous bail reform law and the new changes that have been implemented by New York State.”

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A pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle on Route 25A in Shoreham Sunday night, according to Suffolk County police.

A woman was crossing westbound Route 25A in front of the Rocky Point Fire Department when she was struck by a 2018 Hyundai at approximately 6:10 p.m. The woman, who has not yet been identified by police, was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson where she died from her injuries, police said.

The driver of the Hyundai, Paula Avent, 36, of Rocky Point, was alone in the vehicle and not injured.

An investigation is underway as to why the woman was crossing the road. The Hyundai was impounded for a safety check.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 631-852-8752.

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A man accused of a Jan. 2 assault that led to the victim’s death three days later was ordered held on $150,000 cash bail or $300,000 bond.

Daniel Hughes, 38, whom police described as homeless, was charged Tuesday with second-degree assault in a case that Suffolk County police say led to the death of Wayne Sapiane, 65, also described as homeless, but who relatives say was living with various friends.

Mr. Sapiane was punched in the head on West Main Street and was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center, then moved to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where he died Jan. 5, police said.

Theresa Martin, the mother of Mr. Sapiane’s 27-year-old son, Taylor, said outside court that the dispute concerned a cellphone, and that Mr. Sapiane had mistakenly taken the wrong cellphone from a charging station. He was in the process of returning it to Mr. Hughes when he was attacked and punched repeatedly, she said.

Mr. Hughes pleaded not guilty at his arrangement before Riverhead Justice Lori Hulse Wednesday morning. His court-appointed attorney, John Halverson, said his client wanted a jury trial. 

But assistant district attorney Eric Aboulafia said Mr. Hughes had made an oral statement and a 45-minute video statement to police saying at one point that he “knocked out” Mr. Sapiane.

In addition, Mr. Aboulafia said, a portion of the attack was captured on a surveillance camera.

Judge Hulse said the case would go before a Suffolk grand jury Friday, where the charges could be upgraded.

Mr. Hughes has a criminal record that is 43 pages long, and has 31 arrests and 21 convictions, including several cases that are still open, the ADA said. Mr. Hughes was arrested in December and charged with two misdemeanors following a domestic dispute, according to Riverhead police. On three occasions, according to Judge Hulse, he has not shown up for a court appearance. 

Mr. Sapiane’s friends and relatives were not happy with the bail amount or with the charge.

“How dare they let that piece of [expletive] out on bail,” Ms. Martin said outside court, although he is currently being held on bail. “He knew what he was doing, it was not an accident. He should be charged with murder.”

Ms. Martin called it a “vicious attack.”

She said she hopes Mr. Hughes “never sees the light of day again.”

Mr. Sapiane, the brother of longtime WLNG radio disc jockey Gary Sapiane, was described as a “free spirit” who would help anyone in need.

He was an accomplished guitar player and surfer, Ms. Martin said.

“It kills me inside to see that he could walk away,” Taylor Sapiane said of Mr. Hughes outside court. “My father was always a kind and loving person who would never hurt a soul.”

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A 30-year-old Jamesport man, who pleaded guilty in June to distributing crack and powdered cocaine, was sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison Friday.

Tramaine Brown, who was arrested along with 14 other individuals in a series of raids in November 2018, was accused by federal prosecutors of cooking drugs in the kitchen of the home his girlfriend rented in the presence of their child in an investigation that spanned 10 months.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release that during the investigation by the FBI and East End Drug Task Force, officers purchased more than 300 grams of cocaine from Mr. Brown, capturing some of the purchases on video surveillance.

The Nov. 14, 2018 raid of his home produced large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, $10,000 in cash and several guns.

“The Riverhead area is safer with Tramaine Brown sent to prison for running an armed and dangerous drug trafficking operation that endangered residents,” U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement.

Presentencing guidelines in the case suggested a sentence of between 10 and 11 1/4 years in prison, records show.

In a memo to the court filed last week, Mr. Brown’s attorney asked for the judge’s leniency and included a letter from Mr. Brown himself and character letters from more than a half dozen friends and supporters.

“I understand my actions foresee consequences, in which, I take full responsibility for,” Mr. Brown wrote. “I pray that you please consider this as a huge mistake that I will never make again.”

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Antony Gonzales-Huaman, 25, of Southampton was arrested last Tuesday around 4:14 p.m. for one count of forcible touching, a misdemeanor, according to Riverhead Town police. He was later released on an appearance ticket.

Additional details were not available.

• Alyssa Bouchard, 25, of Shirley was arrested on a petit larceny charge, a misdemeanor, last Wednesday around 6:56 p.m. She was released on an appearance ticket.

• A man called Riverhead police last Friday around 1:46 p.m. to report his wallet stolen. His wallet contained an immigration card, a social security card and $120 worth of cash. The man told police that last Wednesday between 6 and 10 p.m., he parked his vehicle at a parking stall at Gala Fresh Farms in Riverhead, only to return and find his wallet removed from the vehicle’s center console. The truck was not locked during the time of incident, according to police.

• A man swiped $50 worth of oxtail meat and fled Gala Fresh Farms in Riverhead last Tuesday morning. Police interviewed the store manager, who said that around 9:27 a.m., a man removed the meat from the butcher department, left the store and fled eastbound along Route 58 in a red Cadillac four-door sedan. According to video surveillance, his vehicle had an unknown Illinois registration. The manager was advised to contact police if the man returns.

• A Longchamp handbag, valued at $150, along with a driver’s license, passport, assorted credit and debit cards, $100 worth of cash and three keys were reported stolen from Costco in Riverhead last Friday around 9:19 a.m. The theft is believed to have occurred Thursday between 3 and 5 p.m., according to Riverhead Police.

• Multiple electronic devices were reported stolen from Target in Riverhead last Thursday around 6:08 p.m. Police obtained security footage that showed a man removing a $179 consumer cell phone, a $149 consumer cell phone, a $59 Nintendo Switch and a $59 XBOX One from the store, without paying. 

• Police are investigating a theft at King Kullen in Wading River last Wednesday when $148 worth of assorted meats were taken from the store. The suspect is known to frequent the store, police said. The man who reported the incident did not wish to press charges but wanted the incident documented and requested a trespass affidavit against the suspect. Police said that would have to be filled out once the suspect returns to the store.

• $150 worth of cash was reported stolen from a man’s vehicle, which was parked near Fishel Avenue last Wednesday around 1:16 p.m. The man told police he had left his vehicle parked in the driveway of his residence overnight and found the next morning that his items had been rummaged through. The man told police his vehicle had been left unlocked and said no damage had been done to the vehicle. Police obtained the man’s home surveillance video. The man was unable to identify the suspect, but said he would call Riverhead police back at a later date to review the footage.

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.

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Nicholas Fisher, 34, of Flanders was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and making an illegal U-turn on Jan. 6 at 4 a.m. He was stopped for a traffic infraction on Vail Avenue and Pine Street in Riverside and was found to have a revoked license due to a previous driving while impaired conviction, according to Southampton Town police. 

• Peter Mihalitsianos, 56, of Riverhead was charged by Southampton Town police with speeding, an equipment violation and driving with a suspended registration Jan. 7 at 10:50 a.m. on Flanders Road near Red Creek Road. Police said he was going 71 mph in a 55 mph zone while heading south on Flanders Road in Flanders.

He also had a cracked windshield and his license had been suspended Jan. 6. 2020, police said.

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The trial of former New York Mets second baseman Wally Backman began in Riverhead Town Court Tuesday, where Mr. Backman is facing charges of second-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal mischief stemming from a domestic incident on Goodale Court on Aug. 30, 2019.

The case is a bench trial, meaning there is no jury and Judge Lori Hulse will decide the case.

Mr. Backman, 60, of Deer Park was Amanda Byrnes’ boyfriend for about two months when the incident occurred. He was arrested after he allegedly pushed Ms. Byrnes against a wall in her house and proceeded to grab and twist her left hand, causing pain and a laceration that required medical attention, according to the criminal complaint she filed against him. Mr. Backman claimed she stole his cell phone.

Ms. Byrnes, 39, of Riverhead has since filed a civil suit against Mr. Backman, accusing him of physical abuse and sexual harassment. She claims he twisted her wrist to take her cell phone so she could not dial 911, and that her pacemaker was displaced when was pushed into the wall. She is expected to testify against Mr. Backman in the criminal case, as well.

Mr. Backman’s defense attorneys, William Keahon and Stephen Civardi, say that Ms. Byrnes has done this before, having accused several other boyfriends of abusing her, and then stealing their cell phones.

“Every time a boyfriend realizes how crazy she is, he wants to break up or leave, and she won’t won’t let him leave, she steals the keys, the phone, and calls the police,” Mr. Keahon told reporters outside court. He said Mr. Backman wanted to break up with her. 

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Grasser said the incidents cited by Mr. Backman’s attorneys “took place between 2007 and 2009 and are not indicative of who she is now.”

“Amanda has an imperfect life, as we all do,” John Ray, Ms. Byrnes’ attorney in the civic case, said outside court Tuesday. “She’s not on trial for her imperfect life. Even imperfect people cannot be beaten, even imperfect people cannot be assaulted, nor in any way abused as she was. That’s our position, and that’s what this case is about.”

Mr. Backman recently managed the Long Island Ducks to the Atlantic League Championship and has interviews pending with three Major League teams, according to his attorney.

Michael Pfaff, the president and general manager of the Long Island Ducks, was in court in support of Mr. Backman.

“We believe in Wally’s innocence and we feel that when he’s been given his due process, he’ll be proven innocent,” he said outside the court.

Mr. Grasser said Mr. Backman drank alcohol heavily that night, but Mr. Keahon said a door bell video taken that night shows Mr. Backman on the night of the incident and he doesn’t appear to be intoxicated.

The case will continue Wednesday.

Mr. Backman was hired by the Mets for the 2010 season to manage the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones. He climbed the organizational depth chart to manage the Class AAA affiliate in Las Vegas until that partnership ended in September 2016. Mr. Backman has been quoted as saying he was pushed out of the position. Mr. Backman played the first nine years of his major league career with the Mets, helping the team win its last World Series title in 1986.

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Daniel Hughes, the 38-year-old man who was charged with a Jan. 2 assault that led to another man’s death on West Main Street in Riverhead, has now been indicted by a Suffolk grand jury and will be arraigned on additional charges Thursday before Suffolk County Court Judge Timothy Mazzei in Riverside. 

After his arrest on Jan. 14, Mr. Hughes was initially charged with second-degree assault. Police say he punched 65-year-old Wayne Sapiane of Riverside in the head and Mr. Sapiane died from those injuries Jan. 5 at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.

The charges Mr. Hughes faces now include a top charge of second-degree assault and an additional charge of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. The indictment was handed down Friday. 

Mr. Hughes is listed by Suffolk County police has being “undomiciled,” or homeless, but previous Riverhead Town Court entries list his home as being Lincoln Street in Riverhead. 

Mr. Sapiane also was listed as “undomiciled,” but relatives say he was living with friends. 

At Mr. Hughes’ original arraignment in Riverhead Town Court, assistant district attorney Eric Aboulafia said Mr. Hughes had made an oral statement and a 45-minute video admitting to the attack and at one point claiming he “knocked out” Mr. Sapiane. 

Mr. Hughes has a criminal record that is 43 pages long, the ADA said, and has 31 arrests and 21 convictions. 

He had five cases on the Jan. 15 Riverhead Town court calendar. 

Theresa Martin, the mother of Mr. Sapiane’s 27-year-old son, Taylor, said outside court in Riverhead that the charges are not serious enough. 

“He knew what he was doing. It was not an accident,” she said. “He should be charged with murder.”

Ms. Martin said the dispute between Mr. Sapiane and Mr. Hughes started when Mr. Sapiane mistakenly took Mr. Hughes’ cellphone from a charging station. As Mr. Sapiane was giving the phone back, she said, Mr. Hughes attacked him. 

Mr. Hughes’ court-appointed attorney, John Halverson, pleaded not guilty and said his client wants a jury trial.

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Riverhead Town police are seeking the public’s help to locate a missing 16-year-old boy.

Michael Benson is 5-foot-6, about 130 pounds with brown eyes and brown, straight hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, gray sweatpants and with a red laundry bag. He left a residence on Middle Road in Riverhead on Tuesday at approximately 1 a.m.

No foul play is suspected, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 631-727-4500.

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Wally Backman was acquitted of two charges he faced stemming from a domestic incident in Riverhead Aug. 30.

Mr. Backman, 60, the manager of the Long Island Ducks and a former New York Mets second baseman, was found not guilty of second-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse announced the verdict Friday afternoon and she did not elaborate on her decision.

The case was a bench trial, meaning there was no jury.

“I said from day on Aug. 30 that I never touched her, never laid a hand on her,” Mr. Backman said outside court. “I’m happy for the team that I had to help me. Justice was served. I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else like that and I especially want to thank the Ducks and my family for sticking by me.”

Mr. Backman, of Deer Park, was Amanda Byrnes’ boyfriend for about two months when the alleged incident occurred. He was arrested after he allegedly pushed Ms. Byrnes against a wall in her house and proceeded to grab and twist her left hand, causing pain and a laceration that required medical attention, according to the criminal complaint she filed against him. Mr. Backman claimed she stole his cell phone.

Ms. Byrnes testified Thursday.

John Ray, Ms. Byrnes’ attorney in a civil case against Mr. Backman, called the decision “a defeat for victims of abuse.”

Check back for additional information

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Konrad Goeldner, 45, of Riverhead was arrested Saturday evening for driving while intoxicated, according to Riverhead Town police.

Mr. Goeldner was allegedly driving eastbound on Reeves Avenue in Riverhead around 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a utility pole. The vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage and police said Mr. Goeldner had watery, blood-shot eyes and the strong odor of alcohol on his breath. 

Mr. Goeldner was arrested after a sobriety test and charged with DWI.

• A Riverhead man was arrested on Doctors Path Sunday evening for driving with a revoked license, according to reports.

Around 5 p.m., police observed Robert Blackmore, 51, failing to signal while turning right onto Doctors Path from Oakland Drive North. Police conducted a traffic stop and found Mr. Blackmore had a revoked New York State license. 

Mr. Blackmore was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and three traffic violations. 

• Shawanna James, 47, of Riverhead was arrested last Wednesday evening on East Main Street for criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to reports.

Around 5 p.m., police observed Ms. James consuming an alcoholic beverage in public outside Village Grocery. Ms. James was then found in possession of five envelopes containing heroin and three glass pipes, police said. 

• Police extinguished a fire at St. Isidore’s cemetery in Riverhead last Thursday, according to reports.

At approximately 4:36 p.m., police responded to a report of a possible fire within the cemetery located on Reeves Avenue. Reports said an officer at the scene located the fire in grass and successfully extinguished it. Police then interviewed the complainant, who told police some candles located next to a grave were blown by the wind, igniting the grass and surrounding flowers.

The property was not damaged, police reports said, and no additional action was taken. 

• Police responded to a report of a “road rage” incident that occurred on the Long Island Expressway last Thursday evening.

Police arrived at the scene after the incident and interviewed the complainant. He stated that around 9:30 p.m., while driving a 2006 Dodge Charger onto the LIE near County Road 58, the driver of a 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer began braking in front of him several times. When the Charger shifted to the center lane to avoid an accident, the front passenger in the Lancer tossed an unknown object at the Charger, resulting in damage to the windshield and front driver’s side door. The vehicle then took off westbound at a high rate of speed.

Police reports said there was no listed owner of the vehicle.

• Police are investigating a report of grand larceny that occurred in Calverton late last Thursday evening or Friday morning, reports said.

The complainant reported that between Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 7:30 a.m., an unknown person cut the catalytic converter of his 2018 Dodge vehicle on Scotts Avenue. The individual told police there is no video surveillance of the incident. Police valued the part at $1,500. The investigation is ongoing.

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.

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Eddie Lee Buckley, 64, of Riverside was arrested last Monday around 2:13 p.m. for using crack cocaine, according to Southampton Town police.

Mr. Buckley was found on private property with another individual near Old Quogue Road in Riverside, when he threw a crack pipe on the ground, according to police. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A 31-year-old Riverside woman was also charged with a loitering violation.

• Bradley Stephen Gluck, 58, of Southampton was arrested last Wednesday around 7:26 a.m. for driving while intoxicated by drugs. Police said Mr. Gluck stopped behind a school bus picking up passengers, appeared to be asleep at the wheel in the travel portion of the roadway and was awakened by several honking vehicles. He allegedly accelerated and was observed traveling 65 mph in a 40 mph zone in Riverside. 

Police followed Mr. Gluck and attempted to pull him over, but he did not stop as directed. He eventually stopped at a red light and was verbally directed to pull off to the side of the road. Police said he appeared to be in a stupor. Mr. Gluck was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor.

• Rashawn Lamb, 34, of Riverside was arrested last Wednesday around 6:46 p.m. for intentionally interfering with a reporting sergeant’s investigation into narcotics sales, according to police. Police said Mr. Lamb physically resisted when officers attempted to arrest him near Old Quogue Road and Pine Street in Riverside. He was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration in the second degree and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.

• Marcos Ochoabonilla, 34, of Southampton was arrested last Wednesday around 8:40 p.m. for multiple motor vehicle-related offenses determined after a motor vehicle accident. A caller reported that he was in the left lane of the Peconic Avenue traffic circle in Riverside, and Mr. Ochoabonilla was in the right lane driving alongside him. Both drivers confirmed that the caller entered the circle first, but the caller said Mr. Ochoabonilla drove into the passenger side of his vehicle and sides–wiped him. Mr. Ochoabonilla, meanwhile, said he was sideswiped by the caller. He was charged with having a vehicle not equipped with an interlock device, aggravated unlicensed operation and driving without a license.

• Joseph Charnews, 30, of Southold was arrested last Thursday around 4:23 p.m. for operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate, alcohol-related aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and for not operating his vehicle with a court-ordered interlock device. He was pulled over near exit 64 on Route 27 in East Quogue for an expired inspection, and police also found that his license was suspended. 

• Cristobal Garcia, 61, of East Hampton was arrested last Friday around 11:54 a.m. for operating a motor vehicle without a license and with a suspended registration. Mr. Garcia was traveling northbound on Flanders Road in Flanders when he was pulled over. 

• Wilfredo Torres, 59, of Riverside was arrested Saturday around 8:56 a.m. after the police determined that he was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration. He was traveling southeast on Flanders Road in Flanders and charged with a violation for the suspended registration, operating a motor vehicle without insurance and stopping, standing or parking on the highway.

• Christopher Cornelius Taylor, 49, of Calverton was arrested Sunday around 4:46 a.m. for failing to use a designated lane, possession of a controlled substance in a non-original container and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Mr. Taylor was also charged with an equipment violation involving obstructed vision, resisting arrest and for unlawful possession of marijuana.

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.

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Riverhead Police Officer Byron Perez had his arms full at the end of Southampton Kiwanis Club’s 50th Annual Police Awards Ceremony, which honored officers from departments throughout the East End Friday evening.

Officer Perez walked away with two awards, one as his department’s “Officer of the Year” for 2019, and another for his service to the community.

The ceremony, held at the Sea Star Ballroom in Riverhead, honors each department’s officer of the year, as selected by the department, but then, at the end of the ceremony, the Kiwanis Club members select one overall East End officer of the year and a community service award in honor of the late Gerard Buckley of Hampton Bays.

It was the latter award that Mr. Perez picked up, in addition to being named his department’s Officer of the Year.

“Officer Perez is being recognized tonight for his outstanding commitment to our community,” Riverhead Captain Richard Smith said in announcing Mr. Perez’s departmental award, which he knew about in advance. The two awards chosen by the Kiwanis Club are kept secret until the end of the ceremony.

“In past years, when we reviewed candidates for this award, we would lean toward one after an incident or arrest that stood out,” Captain Smith said, adding that there were several officers who met that criteria for 2019.

“However, it was Officer Perez’s consistent efforts — both on and off duty — to take that extra step to work with the community, that made him our choice this year,” he added.

A five-year member of the department, “Byron has been dedicated to his job and helping his community since day one,” Captain Smith said. “As the son of a farm laborer from Guatemala, he grew up to become his hometown‘s first full-time Hispanic officer.”

Mr. Perez’s father and other family members were present Friday.

Speaking fluent Spanish, Officer Perez has worked to bridge the gap between local law enforcement and the town’s growing Hispanic population, Captain Smith said. He has also become involved with the Riverhead Community Awareness Program and he helped start a youth soccer program at the high school. He also filled a vacant school board seat for one year and last year was appointed as a School Resource Officer.

Officer Perez was previously named Riverhead News-Review Person of the Year in 2017.

“Many people in law professions talk the talk,” Captain Smith said. “But it’s good that Officer Perez walks the walk. His efforts to be a role model and leader in his community go unmatched. He has made many positive changes in our community and our department, which I know will continue for years to come.”

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