Southhampton Town police are seeking the public’s help to locate a 15-year-old girl who has been reported missing.
Maria Felix is approximately 5-foot-2, 150 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. She’s a student at Riverhead High School. She was last seen Thursday at about 5 p.m. on Riverside Avenue in Flanders. She was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, blue jean pants and white sneakers with a black stripe.
She packed her black backpack with all of her clothing, police said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Southampton Town police at 631-702-2230. Tips can also be emailed to crimetips@southamptontownny.gov.
Southampton Town police arrested a Flanders woman for driving with 18 license suspensions in Riverside last Wednesday morning.
According to a police report, Maria Bustillo, 23, was stopped for an expired inspection sticker around 11 a.m. when an officer found she was driving with a license that had been suspended since 2017.
She was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle along with two violations and her vehicle was impounded at police headquarters, officials said.
• A Flanders Road resident called police last Thursday after he woke up and saw two unknown males going through vehicles in his driveway around 2 a.m.. The caller yelled at them through the window and the suspects fled the area on foot, police said.
• Police were called to a Riverside deli last Wednesday morning after an unknown person stole a cup of coffee and a bagel. Police checked the area using a description of the vehicle but did not locate the suspect.
• An employee at a Flanders convenience store called police last Monday evening to report that an unknown man stole a 12-pack of Corona beer.
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 The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.
Suffolk County’s opioid crisis has fueled another epidemic: human trafficking of young women, who are often led into prostitution, according to police.
In the past 27 months, the Suffolk County Police Department has charged 56 people connected to trafficking-related offenses for a total of 417 charges, 186 of which were specifically related to sex trafficking. During that time, police interviewed and attempted to help more than 220 female victims — the youngest being 12 years old. With January designated as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, members of the SCPD, federal, state and local officials gathered at police headquarters in Yaphank Friday morning to announce the launch of the Suffolk County Anti-Trafficking Initiative, a public awareness campaign.
“The unit started as a pilot program in October of 2017 and we made it permanent in 2018,” said police commissioner Geraldine Hart. “[Before] the formation of the unit, there was not one sex trafficking arrest in the year prior.”
The campaign comprises two pieces, training and awareness, Ms. Hart said. Last year, Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. created a Human Trafficking Investigation Unit including one sergeant and a team of officers who visit the jail with the attempt of identifying human trafficking victims. The task force was designed to educate the public on safety, common red flags, prevention resources and victim’s needs, but also to coordinate with hospital personnel, ride-share service operators, cab drivers and others on warning signs and what to look for. The mothers of two trafficked victims joined the county and its more than 30 partners in an effort to help eliminate sex trafficking cases.
“People have a picture in their mind of a box truck filled with young people being brought to a certain area to be trafficked. That is not the reality across the nation and it is not the reality here in Suffolk County,” Ms. Hart said. “Traffickers are targeting females who are addicted to narcotics or getting them addicted to drugs and these drug cravings fuel a pathway into prostitution.”
Ms. Hart said these cases are far more common than people realize, with 95% of girls being trafficked in Suffolk County being those born and raised here. She urged members of the public to visit SCATI’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages for information, resources and a video showing warning signs of human trafficking. The video was created by the department’s audio visual unit and includes the stories of two young women, both of whom died as a result of drug involvement and trafficking incidences, though one case is still under open homicide investigation.
Lisa Principe and Maria Francavilla shared their daughter’s stories.
“We live on Long Island, we feel like we’re safe — it’s here and there are predators,” said Ms. Principe. “My daughter was manipulated. Somebody said they loved her … and inevitably, he was one of the ringleaders. She was beaten, held, drugged, you name it.”
Ms. Principe’s daughter, Jenna, was 19 when she was gang raped, which her mother later learned was initiation into the lifestyle.
“They took her soul,” she said. Jenna, a graduate of Mepham High School in Bellmore, spent near 90% of eight years in jail for being with a dealer during a sale because, her mother said, she could not function on the outside. As soon as she was out, those involved kept their relationships with her, expressing love, sharing money and providing her with resources, never losing track of their ulterior motives.
Jenna died of an overdose five days after she was released from jail in September. She was 27. At least one of her perpetrators has since been arrested.
Ms. Francavilla’s daughter, Tori, on the other hand, was 24 when she died. Her mother said she was wrapped up in a trafficking case, but got out of it a few years before her passing.
“It got to a point where she was actually handcuffed to a bed and kept captive,” said Ms. Francavilla. “Unfortunately, her drug habits still followed her after than and I still don’t even know how she got in … These people need to be stopped.”
Suffolk County Undersheriff Kevin Catalina explained how these trafficking cases typically go.
“No young girl ever sets out to be involved in a life like this,” he said. “What happens is these predators recognize the most vulnerable and they target them. They target them through the internet, they target them at places like malls, within schools, they supply them with narcotics, whether there is a narcotics issue already or not.”
In turn, those individuals tend to demand remittance for the drugs they supplied and just like that, young girls are roped in.
“When Sheriff Toulon took office,” said Mr. Catalina, “he quickly recognized that the three biggest issues facing Suffolk County were gangs, narcotics use — specifically the opioid crisis — and human trafficking. Oftentimes, those three are intertwined.”
In 2019, Suffolk County lost 10 victims to overdoses connected to sex trafficking, according to Ms. Hart. New York State Senator Monica Martinez, a former educator, said that every 30 seconds, someone becomes a victim of some type of human trafficking. The offenders do not discriminate when it comes to age or ethnic background, according to Det. Lt. Frank Messana, though the girls most trafficked in the county are in middle and high school, ranging between 13 and 17 years of age. They may be runaway youth, they may be insecure or come from rough backgrounds, or they may not. They may be targeted in schools or public spaces and they are often manipulated, coerced and forced into tortured lifestyles, Mr. Martinez said.
The video mentioned that while Suffolk County is rated as one of the safest communities to live in the country, the “enormous underground sex trafficking ring is going on in every hotel and motel in our county.”
Crying and consoling one another, both mothers maintained their composure when sharing their daughter’s story.
“We’re going to continue to fight human trafficking for our girls,” said Ms. Principe. “For Jenna and for Tori and for every other girl out there. Nobody should ever have to go through this.”
Two people were injured Wednesday afternoon after a bus serving the disabled overturned on Route 24 in Riverside, Southampton Town Police confirmed.
The single-vehicle accident occurred near Pinehurst Boulevard at 1:28 p.m., Southampton Sgt. James Cavanagh said. Police were dispatched two minutes later.
The
Independent Group Home Living Program bus was traveling east from Medford when
it overturned, he said.
The driver and one passenger, who was in a wheelchair, were transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital trauma center for injuries, he said. All other passengers had been dropped off prior to the incident.
Additional information was not immediately available. The incident is still under investigation.
IGHL,
a Manorville-based company, provides programs, services and support to people
with intellectual disabilities.
Riverhead Town police responded to a pair of crashes within less than 1/2 hour Wednesday night, including a driver whose car crashed into a grassy median leaving the front end hanging over a bridge abutment.
Police received numerous calls about a wrong way driver on the Long Island Expressway at approximately 8:30 p.m. An elderly driver, who reportedly suffered a medical condition, was heading westbound on the LIE in the eastbound lanes and eventually crashed in Calverton.
The Riverhead Fire Department, Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Suffolk County Highway Patrol all responded to the scene. The first responders held down the back of the vehicle using their bodies to keep the car from falling to the roadway until ropes could be set up to winch the car back onto solid ground.
The driver was transported by RVAC ambulance to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.
Police did not have any updates Thursday morning on the crash or the driver’s condition.
Police also responded to a rollover on Wading River Manor Road, just south of Grumman Boulevard just before 9 p.m. Wednesday. The driver struck a utility pole, causing a power outage in the area to the west of Wading River Manor Road and Route 25. The road was closed as PSEG responded.
A gang member who had been charged in connection to the 2015 murder of 27-year-old Thomas LaColla pleaded guilty Friday in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Terrill Latney, 39, an associate of the Red Stone Gorilla “set” of the Bloods street gang based in Riverhead, pleaded guilty to racketeering, including conspiring to distribute narcotics and participating in Mr. Lacolla’s murder, officials said.
“We hope today’s guilty plea begins to bring a measure of closure to the victim’s family,” U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement.
On Nov. 17, 2015, Mr. Latney assisted members of the Bloods in their attempt to kill a rival gang member. Mr. Latney, who has addresses listed for both Riverhead and Mastic Beach, drove three Bloods members to Old Quogue Road in Riverside where they fired at least 39 shots into a vehicle parked outside a home that they erroneously believed was occupied by the rival gang member. Instead, they killed Mr. Lacolla.
Mr. Latney faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Officials previously said the gang’s alleged leader, Jimmy Dean of Calverton ordered the killing.
They were among six alleged gang members arrested in October following an investigation by the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force. Mr. Latney was described as Mr. Dean’s “right hand man” in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine.
“As a result of the outstanding work by our prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force, Latney has been held accountable for his role in a large-scale narcotics distribution operation and a senseless act of violence that took a man’s life,” Mr. Donoghue said.
Edy Perez-Suazo, 34, was arrested in Riverhead last Saturday evening for aggravated driving while intoxicated, police reports said.
Police reports said around 9 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle was stopped at the intersection of East Main Street and Elton Street with the motor running and the driver asleep behind the wheel.
When police arrived at the scene, Mr. Perez-Suazo was sleeping in the driver’s seat of a 2005 Dodge pickup truck with the motor running and the right directional signal illuminated, obstructing the eastbound lane of traffic on Elton St. at a green light, reports said.
Police interviewed Mr. Perez-Suazo due to suspected alcohol involvement and found he was intoxicated.
Mr. Perez-Suazo was arrested and charged with aggravated DWI. He was transported to Riverhead police department headquarters, where he was processed and held for arraignment. The vehicle that Mr. Perez-Suazo was driving was impounded, reports said.
• A Selden man was arrested in Riverhead last Friday afternoon for driving without a license, police reports said.
Jason Nucatola, 23, was stopped by police around 3 p.m. after traveling westbound on Middle Country Road near Edwards Avenue with an expired yellow state inspection sticker affixed to the front windshield of his vehicle, reports said.
Further investigation revealed Mr. Nucatola’s license had been suspended six times, most recently in June 2019, and Suffolk County had an active warrant out for his arrest.
He was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, an additional violation for driving without a license, and another violation for driving without an inspection sticker, police reports said. He was processed at Riverhead Police Department headquarters and is due back in court at a later date.
• Police are investigating a report of grand larceny that occurred at Riverhead Target Monday where an individual stole over $1,100 worth of Legos, police reports said.
Around 3 p.m., a Target loss prevention employee reported an unknown male entered the store at approximately 2:40 p.m. and was observed removing eleven Lego products, valued at $1,174.89, without paying for the same, reports said.
The suspect is described as in his mid 30s, with glasses and a chin-strap beard, a Yankees flat brim baseball cap, blue jeans and a black sweatshirt, reports said. Police reviewed video surveillance of the property and observed the suspect entering the parking lot in a white SUV and later exiting westbound toward Old Country Road.
The loss prevention employee later told police that the suspect has removed similar items at other Targets, including North Commack and Setauket.
Police obtained two copies of video surveillance and photos of the individual. The investigation is ongoing.
• A Brookhaven man was arrested for aggravated DWI in Riverhead Sunday evening following a car accident, police reports said.
Jose Chamale, 26, was involved in a two-car accident on Middle Country Road around 6 p.m., reports said. The accident involved a 2007 Honda sedan and a 2012 Volkswagen sedan.
Mr. Chamale was arrested, charged with two counts of DWI, and received two additional violations, one for driving without a license, police reports said.
Additional information was not immediately available.
• Police are investigating a report of grand larceny that occurred between Sunday evening and Monday morning in Riverhead, police reports said.
A complainant told police that sometime between Sunday at 5 p.m. and Monday at 7:30 a.m., an unknown person broke the locks to a shipping container and two tool boxes located on a white truck on Fresh Pond Avenue and removed roughly $3,775 worth of tree equipment.
The individual stole three chainsaws, a Red Max-brand hedge trimmer, and roughly 200 feet of rope, reports said. Damages to the truck total $225.
Reports said video surveillance of the property was captured, but is not yet available. 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.
A Riverhead woman was arrested after a child she had been babysitting was found wandering on Riverleigh Avenue unsupervised last Thursday afternoon.
Police received a call around 1:57 p.m. and found the child, who was taken to Southampton police headquarters until her mother was located. Cilida Sutuj-Lopez, 38, told police she was babysitting the child and fell asleep. Ms. Sutuj-Lopez was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and released on an appearance ticket.
• Southampton Town police arrested a Queens man for driving with a suspended license in Flanders early Sunday morning.
Police said a caller reported that a suspicious vehicle approached him and the driver was requesting “sexual favors” before driving away. The driver, 35 year-old Horacio Serafico, was located near Evergreen Road, where he was found with an open container of alcohol and to be driving without a valid license.
He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, as well as a vehicle and traffic violation, reports said.
• Felipe Chavajay, 39, of Flanders was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Thursday in Hampton Bays.
• Police arrested Yesid Lemos, 56, of Riverhead for driving with a suspended vehicle registration in Hampton Bays last Wednesday around 11:38 a.m.
• A Patchogue man was arrested for drunken driving in Riverside last Tuesday afternoon.
Police said Angel Herrera, 41, was stopped for a vehicle and traffic violation on Lake Avenue around 3:42 p.m. and found to be intoxicated.
He was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, DWI and circumventing a court-ordered interlock device, according to a police report.
• A Flanders man called police last Tuesday evening to report that an unknown person rummaged through two vehicles in his driveway and stole $25 in coins.
The incident happened on Royal Avenue, police said.
• Detectives are investigating a report of an alleged rental scam in Flanders.
Police said a 38-year-old Calverton man reported last Tuesday that he was attempting to rent a home on Wood Road Trail and sent the owner $3,000 via CashApp. Further investigation revealed the people he sent money to had no right to rent the home, but police declined to say if any arrests have been made in connection to the incident.
• Matthew Manzella, 30, of Shinnecock Hills was arrested for driving without a valid license last Monday in Riverside. Police said Mr. Manzella was seen passing several cars in the right turning lane on Flanders Road. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and released on an appearance ticket, according to officials.
• Police arrested Welton Taylor, 55, of Southampton for driving with a suspended vehicle registration last Monday around 6:56 p.m.
He was released on a field appearance ticket and is due back in court on Feb. 12, police said.
• Jose Martinez, 22, of Riverhead was arrested for driving with a suspended license on Cobb Road in Water Mill last Monday at 7:56 a.m.
According to police, Mr. Martinez had an outstanding bench warrant from Southampton Village Justice Court. He was arrested and issued a court appearance ticket, 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.
One man was airlifted and another transported via ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital after a two-car collision in Riverhead Wednesday, according to Riverhead Town police.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Roanoke Avenue and Reeves Avenue at about 5:40 p.m.
A Hyundai SUV attempted to turn left from Reeves onto Roanoke and collided with a Prius traveling north, police said.
The Prius sustained heavy damage and the driver had to be extricated by firefighters with the Riverhead Fire Department. Firefighters cut the roof off of the Prius to free the driver.
The driver of the Prius was transported by Suffolk police medevac and the driver of the SUV was transported by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Stony Brook. The injuries for both drivers, who are both in their 50s, were not life threatening, police said.
Firefighters began to clear the scene about 45 minutes after the crash and police were to reopen the road once the cars were towed.
Firefighters work to place the roof back on top of the car. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)
Marcus Belcher, 28 of Riverhead was arrested in Riverhead last Wednesday evening for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police reports said.
While on patrol, police observed a gray Nissan sedan stopped at the south entrance of the Fairfield Apartment complex on Roanoke Avenue. The vehicle was obstructing the flow of traffic, forcing other vehicles to drive around it, and was positioned in a fire zone with posted “no parking” and “no stopping” signs, reports said.
As police approached the vehicle, reports said, the smell of marijuana was emanating from it. Mr. Belcher was seen handling a clear plastic bag with green plant-like material, which police later confirmed was marijuana. When he was asked to step out of the vehicle, he was “visibly agitated,” reports said.
Mr. Belcher was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and violations for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. He was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters for processing and was released. He is due back in court at a later date.
• Ever E. Martinez-Duenas, 22, of Riverhead was arrested on Doctor’s Path in Riverhead last Thursday evening for driving while intoxicated.
Mr. Martinez-Duenas, driving a 2006 Toyota sedan, was stopped around 11:30 p.m. for a traffic violation, reports said.
He was charged with two counts of DWI and violations for driving without a license and failure to use a turn signal. Additional information was not available through police reports.
• Police investigated a reported marijuana odor in the Holiday Inn Express in Riverhead Friday evening, reports said.
Around 9 p.m., a caller at the hotel reported the smell of marijuana on the third floor. When police arrived, the complainant stated that hotel management had not done anything to investigate the smell.
Police then spoke with a hotel employee, who stated she had not been notified of any customer complaints. Police checked the third floor and smelled a faint odor of marijuana, reports said, but were unable to locate its source. No further police action was taken.
• A Middle Island man was arrested in Riverhead early Saturday morning for criminal contempt, police reports said.
Stanley Battle, 35, was arrested at approximately 1:54 a.m. following a domestic incident on West Main St. Details of the incident were not made available.
Mr. Battle was charged with criminal contempt, a felony, and a violation for harassment at the location, reports said. He was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters, where he was processed and held for morning arraignment.
• Last Thursday, an asset protection employee at the Riverhead Lowe’s reported that on Feb. 4 an individual removed a Porter Cable tool kit, valued at $449.99, from the store without paying for it.
The employee described the suspect as a man wearing a black knit cap, jeans, a blue hoodie and brown work boots. He allegedly left the property in a red pickup truck.
A suspect has not been found, but would be charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
• Police are investigating a report of petit larceny at the Riverhead Stop & Shop Sunday evening, report said.
Police arrived at the store on Old Country Road around 6 p.m. At that time, a loss prevention employee stated that three individuals stole $983.08 worth of merchandise around 5:45 p.m. He described the three individuals to police as two men and one woman, roughly 15-20 years of age, who fled toward Old Country Road in an unknown direction. Police pursued the suspects and were able to recover the merchandise without incident.
Surveillance video of the property was not available at the time of the report, police said. Police notified loss prevention employees at local grocery stores and asked them to notify Riverhead Police Department of any suspicious activity.
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.
A Flanders man was arrested Saturday evening for driving under the influence of marijuana and alcohol.
Police said Alcides Lopez-Cambara, 40, was stopped for an equipment violation on Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays around 6:22 p.m. when an officer noticed the strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and the smell of a alcohol on his breath.
He was charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, according to a police report.
• Police arrested Julio Gutierrez-Agosto, 25, of Riverside for driving while intoxicated in Flanders following a crash early last Monday morning.
According to a police report, Mr. Gutierrez-Agosto was driving his vehicle on Flanders Road near County Road 105 when he was involved in a one-car crash and witnesses said the occupants fled the scene on foot around 2 a.m.
He was located near his vehicle and told police he had been driving after having a beer. Mr. Gutierrez-Agosto was charged with driving while intoxicated and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.
• A Bellport man was arrested on drug charges after he crashed his vehicle into a street sign in Northampton last Monday around 2:18 a.m.
Police said Jarrett Crump, 40, crashed into a road sign on Speonk-Riverhead Road near the intersection of County Road 51 and further investigation revealed he was in possession of marijuana and a PCP cigarette.
He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, officials said.
• Frankie Mendoza, 21, of Mastic Beach was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Northampton last Monday.
He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and released on an appearance ticket, according to police.
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 Riverhead Fire Department put out a fire in a home on Woodcrest Avenue in Riverhead early Sunday morning.
The call came in at about 12:15 a.m.
Riverhead Fire Chief Tim Corwin said the home was recently purchased and the owners were in the process of cleaning the inside. The fire was confined to the attic.
“Pretty much the whole attic was involved when we got there,” he said. “It was a relatively difficult fire to get to because of the amount of heat that was upstairs.
“It was contained to the attic, but there was pretty much 100% damage above the ceiling. There was water damage downstairs, but no fire damage.”
About 60 firefighters responded.
One firefighter had an arm injury, was checked out at the hospital and released, the chief said.
“We were there a little over an hour,” he said.
The Flanders Fire Department was on standby at the scene, he said.
The man who was operating a 39-foot Cobalt boat that struck a bulkhead in Mattituck last fall, injuring two passengers and killing a third, is planning to sue Southold Town for $30 million for negligence and defamation of character, according to a notice of claim filed with the Town Clerk Feb. 7.
In the notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, Frank Distefano, 48, of East Northport alleges that the town “negligently maintained or failed to maintain the navigation aids, buoys and marine markers at or about the entrance to James Creek” in Mattituck and that, by doing so, they did not adhere to guidelines set forth by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the claim, his boat ran aground while he was searching for buoys and navigational aids at the entrance to the creek.
Southold police initially responded to the scene near Old Salt Road at about 9:17 p.m. Nov. 10, after the boat slammed into the bulkhead fronting Great Peconic Bay. The vessel was approximately 150 feet from the shoreline with four people aboard when first responders arrived, police said.
The crash claimed the life of 27-year-old Kelley Blanchard of Riverhead and injured Mr. Distefano and his passengers Nicholas Soullas, 41, of Jamesport and Ms. Blanchard’s sister Megan, 29, of New Suffolk.
Police arrested Mr. Distefano and charged him with misdemeanor boating while intoxicated — a charge that was dismissed after a toxicology report showed Mr. Distefano did not have a blood alcohol content above the legal threshold to warrant a criminal charge, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. The DA’s office said at the time that the crash remains under criminal investigation.
The claim, filed by attorney Frank Blangiardo of Cutchogue, further alleges that “the Town of Southold, through its Police Department made libelous, false statements … suggesting [Mr. Distefano] was involved in a serious crime.”
He is seeking punitive damages for fractures, head, neck and back injuries, mental anguish, loss of earnings, false arrest, wrongful prosecution and publication of false statements “with reckless disregard for claimant’s reputation,” the document states.
Records also show that Mr. Blangiardo submitted a second notice of claim to the town on behalf of passenger Nicholas Soullas, who cited serious head and neck injuries and a shattered pelvis as injuries sustained, in addition to loss of earnings and mental anguish. That claim did not include an amount sought to recoup from the town and Mr. Blangiardo did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Megan Blanchard has also indicated she will file a $25 million suit against the town, according to a separate notice of claim filed Feb. 5 by her attorney, former Southold Town justice Brian Hughes.
Her claim indicates that the town “failed to notify, advise, or warn mariners and the general public of the removal of [navigational aids],” which caused or contributed to her hand, back and leg injuries that required surgery, as well as loss of earnings and mental anguish. Mr. Hughes did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Town attorney Bill Duffy confirmed the claims had been filed and said his office is in the “early stages” of investigating.
“We’re still researching whether we have any liability” with regard to James Creek and the placement of navigational aids, he said in an interview Friday afternoon. “We don’t have an answer to that yet, but we have insurance and we expect to defend the case.”
Following standard depositions and what’s known as a 50-h hearing, the claimants have one year to file a formal lawsuit with the town.
Mr. Duffy vehemently opposed allegations of defamation.
“The police acted appropriately and I’m sure they will be cleared of any wrongdoing,” he said.
A dispute at a Riverhead gas station led to one man suffering a hand laceration and another man arrested, according to Riverhead Town police.
Police received a call at about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday to respond to Speedway Gas station on Route 58 near Ostrander Avenue. Officers found a man who had suffered the injury during the dispute and were provided a description of the suspect.
Detectives were notified and patrol units located the suspect a short time later.
William Duff, 56, who is listed as homeless, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, a felony, police said. He was held for arraignment in Riverhead Justice Court.
The victim was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center.
Police did not provide additional details on what led to the dispute.
The Riverhead Police Department is asking for the public’s help to locate three teens who ran away from the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch Tuesday night.
According to police, Timothy Hill residents Vanessa D’Angelo, Jocelyn Lentino and Nyeisha Dow left the facility without permission around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. They were later observed getting into a white BMW near Sound Avenue and Osborn Avenue in Baiting Hollow, police said.
In a press release, police described Vanessa D’Angelo, 16, as white, approximately 5-foot-3, 115 pounds with brown hair and eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, black leggings and teal colored Jordan sneakers.
Jocelyn Lentino is 16, hispanic, approximately 5-foot-4 and 130 pounds. She has blonde curly hair and blue eyes and was wearing a pink hoodie and light blue jeans, officials said.
Nyeisha Dow, 16, was described as black, 5-foot-6, 120 pounds with corn rows wearing a black and white long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and black, white and green sneakers.
Police said no foul play is suspected and believe the girls may be in the Nassau County area.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts or who has had contact with them is asked to contact the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500.
Cesar Zavala-Vega, 21, was arrested on Doctors Path in Riverhead last Tuesday evening for criminal contempt and reckless endangerment, according to reports.
Around 5 p.m., police responded to a report of a domestic incident on Doctors Path. A woman reported that her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Zavala-Vega, removed her vehicle, a 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse, from her driveway. When attempting to obtain the car from him hours later, Mr. Zavala-Vega tried to run over her.
Further police investigation revealed the woman has an active order of protection against Mr. Zavala-Vega. He was later arrested and charged with two counts of criminal contempt, felonies, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.
• A Peconic Bay Medical Center employee was punched in the face while she was treating a patient at the hospital on Roanoke Avenue early last Tuesday morning, police reports said.
Around 1:12 a.m., a female employee administered intravenous treatment into the arm of a female patient. The patient told police later that the IV caused her pain and “out of reflex” she punched the employee in the face.
The employee was medically cleared by PBMC staff. No additional action was taken by police, reports said.
• Police are searching for an individual who allegedly used three counterfeit bills to purchase clothing from Polo Ralph Lauren at Riverhead Tanger Outlets last Tuesday afternoon, reports said.
Last Wednesday, police interviewed an employee who reported that around 12:09 p.m. the day before, an unknown individual used three counterfeit $100 bills to purchase $240.03 worth of assorted men’s clothing. The subject then fled in an unknown direction.
The incident was captured on video surveillance footage, reports said. The subject was described as a heavyset black female wearing a black Polo parka with fur around the hood, black spandex pants and knee-high boots.
A suspect has not been found, but would be charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
• Police recovered marijuana-infused chocolate Friday morning after it was recovered by a security guard at Riverhead Middle School, reports said.
School resource officer Byron Perez obtained the chocolate PUNCHbar around 11:43 a.m. It was then taken and placed into the property section to be destroyed, reports said.
• Police investigated a report of petit larceny that occurred at the Riverhead Target last Thursday evening.
A loss prevention employee reported that at 2:09 p.m., an unknown male removed two prepaid Consumer Cellular Samsung cellphones, valued at $139.96, without paying for them.
The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-30s with a large tattoo on the right side of his neck. He was wearing a black jacket, black hoodie and blue jeans, reports said. A suspect has not been found, but would be charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
The employee plans to prepare video surveillance footage of the larceny for police, reports said. The incident is considered closed at this time.
• Police responded to a report of criminal mischief at the Mobil gas station on East Main Street last Thursday afternoon, police reports said.
An employee at the gas station reported that around 12:30 p.m., a woman began to argue with him after he examined her money for validity. She became angry, he told police, and slammed a shelf to the ground, causing some merchandise to break. The woman then fled the scene in a white Toyota.
Police are expected to receive video surveillance of the incident in the near future, reports said. 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.
Southampton Town police arrested a Manorville man for driving while intoxicated on Pleasure Drive in Flanders Sunday evening.
According to police, Victor Irizarry, 28, was stopped around 6 p.m. for failing to maintain his lane of travel and placed under arrest for suspected intoxication. He later refused a breath test at headquarters, police said.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated and several vehicle and traffic violations, officials said.
• Rebecca Sullivan, 37, of Mastic was arrested for driving with a revoked license in Riverside Saturday around 5:05 p.m.
She was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and released on an appearance ticket.
• Marco Camey Jocon, 50, of Shirley was arrested for driving with three license suspensions on Lake Avenue in Riverside Saturday around 5:25 p.m.
He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle along with several violations, officials said.
• Police arrested a Riverhead man for driving without a valid license in Hampton Bays Sunday around 2:44 p.m.
Jevohni Brown, 27, was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and released on an appearance ticket, reports said.
• An unknown man stole a 12-pack of beer from a Flanders Road convenience store around 11 p.m. Friday.
• A 21-year-old Flanders woman reported a social media scam to police last Thursday morning.
The woman said she received a Snapchat message from a friend who told her she could make money by messaging an unknown man who she ultimately sent her bank account, social security and date of birth to. After an initial check for $2,751 cleared, the woman said he sent a second check for $4,751 and her checking account later showed a negative balance of $4,751.
Detectives are investigating and said the woman’s friend’s Snapchat account was hacked, according to a police report. The woman was given several booklets that explain how to prevent identity theft, police said.
• Enrique Moreno, 53, of Riverhead was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in Riverside Sunday at approximately 8:51 p.m. Police said he was released on an appearance ticket.
• Southampton police detectives are investigating a report of a burglary at a Riverside residence last Tuesday afternoon.
A 64-year-old caretaker reported that he entered the Dogwood Street residence around 3:15 p.m. to feed the cat when he realized the door was unsecured and the lock had been destroyed. Contents of a bedroom and medicine cabinet were also tossed about, according to a police report, and the homeowner reported that oxycodone medication was stolen.
• A 40-year-old Flanders woman was arrested last week after she was found to be intoxicated during a traffic stop in Riverside.
Police stopped Christine Lennon near Cross River Drive last Monday around 1:15 a.m. and charged her with driving while intoxicated.
• Scott McDowell, 33, of Yaphank was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle during a traffic stop near the County Center in Riverside last Monday around 8:45 a.m. He was issued an appearance ticket and released in the field, police said.
• Police arrested Jamie Bergamine, 39, of Shirley on drug charges during a traffic stop on Westhampton Riverhead Road in Riverside last Monday around 8:30 p.m.
According to police, Ms. Bergamine was stopped for a license plate violation when an officer noticed the strong smell of marijauna coming from the vehicle and found marijuana and cocaine inside. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and two violations, according to officials.
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 Riverhead Fire Department responded to a fire at the vacant Toys ‘R’ Us building on Route 58 Monday morning.
Officials were notified at around 8:15 a.m. and fire responders found the fire was in the rear of the store, near the loading docks. The fire activated sprinklers in the building.
The fire was deemed suspicious and is under investigation. No injuries were reported.
Riverhead police and the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps also responded to the scene.
Riverhead police said due to the suspicious nature of the fire, Riverhead detectives were requested along with the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad and Riverhead Fire Marshall’s Office.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500, ext. 328. All calls will be kept confidential.
The Toys ‘R’ Us location, which opened in the 1990s, has been vacant since mid-2018 after the company declared bankruptcy and closed all of its stores. Raymour & Flanigan furniture store was reported to being in the process of taking over the building last year.
Riverhead firefighters at the scene Monday morning. (Credit: Thomas J. Lambui/LIHotShots)
A 35-year-old Calverton man is among four people who have been indicted on federal child pornography charges, according to documents filed with the U.S. Eastern District Court in Central Islip on Tuesday.
According to the indictment, Taylor Pick of Calverton is facing three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Pick did knowingly “use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor, to wit: John Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing one or more visual depictions of such conduct.”
The indictment cites three multimedia files dated Dec. 13, 2019 and Jan. 15 of this year that are associated with Mr. Pick’s charges.
Also charged in the grand jury indictment are Jonathan Berretta of Centereach, Maureen Serra of Lake Ronkonkoma and Benjamin Downs, of Massachusetts, who prosecutors say conspired with Mr. Pick to produce the images and videos “knowing and having reason to know that such visual depictions would be transported and transmitted” via mail and the Internet.
Four minors, three girls and one boy, are referenced in the indictment, which did not list their ages.
The document states that the incidents occurred between January 2018 and February 2020 within the Eastern District of New York and elsewhere.
If convicted, Mr. Pick could face between 15 and 30 years in federal prison.
A spokesperson for the U.S Attorney’s office said all four defendants are in custody and will be arraigned on the charges before United States District Judge Joan Azrack in Central Islip on March 4.
Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the attempted murder case against Patchita Tennant, the woman accused of shooting her estranged boyfriend during a domestic dispute in September at a Flanders home.
During a brief conference in court in Riverside Thursday, New York State Supreme Court Justice John Collins told the parties that he expects to call 150 jurors Monday to begin the first round of questioning.
Ms. Tennant, 42, is accused of shooting her estranged boyfriend, Andrew Silas Mitchell, 46, three times, twice in the chest and once in the arm. She was initially charged with first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm and later arraigned on upgraded charges, including attempted murder and assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.
The shooting incident occurred on Thursday, Sept. 5, shortly before 8:20 p.m., when police were called to the home on Pleasure Drive that Ms. Tennant previously shared with Mr. Mitchell. Police were advised to be on the lookout for Ms. Tennant, who was reported to have fled the scene with the couple’s 3-year-old daughter.
The search for Ms. Tennant and the child, which led police to issue a statewide Amber Alert, spanned about 18 hours. The child was located with a family member late the next morning and Ms. Tennant, whose vehicle was found in Middle Island, turned herself in to Southampton Town police. She remains free on a $500,000 bond.
During Thursday’s court appearance, Judge Collins also made several rulings on whether to allow certain elements to be introduced to the jury during the trial. An admission made by Ms. Tennant to Mr. Mitchell in August regarding cutting wires to cameras at the Pleasure Drive home will be allowed to be presented during the trial.
The judge denied a motion made by prosecutors to introduce testimony regarding an alleged incident regarding a boat owned by Mr. Mitchell, remarking that the evidence is “particularly speculative.”
Speaking to reporters after the conference, defense attorney Matthew Tuohy of Huntington said speculation that Ms. Tennant attempted to do something to Mr. Mitchell’s boat was irrelevant to the case.
“There’s no proof of it,” he said.
He did however consent to evidence about cutting the wires to the home’s security system.
“[Mr. Mitchell] was constantly following her and watching her. She was just fed up with it,” Mr. Tuohy said.
He expects both Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Tennant to take the stand during the trial, which he anticipates will last two weeks.
Ms. Tennant maintains her innocence.
Prosecutors have said Ms. Tennant and the couple’s daughter had been at a relative’s house when she realized she might not have enough clothes for her daughter and went alone to the house she owned with Mr. Mitchell to get more.
When she got there, an argument ensued with Mr. Mitchell, whom she accused of having an affair. Assistant District Attorney Eric Aboulafia said Ms. Tennant, who had recently been living in Riverhead, banged on a door and screamed “I’m going to kill you.”
Mr. Mitchell then allegedly grabbed a .38 caliber handgun and the two wrestled over the gun, which went off, hitting Mr. Mitchell, according to the prosecutor.
Mr. Tuohy said Thursday that he feels they have a strong case.
“She’s a victim here,” he said, adding that Ms. Tennant has put up with years of abuse because they have a child together and are financially tied.
“It was his gun and he’s tried to manipulate the whole situation,” Mr. Tuohy said. “It was a life or death situation for her.”
As jury selection commences, Mr. Tuohy said he will be looking for intelligent people.
“People who are reasonable and look at the whole situation, not people who make snap-second judgments and have their minds made up,” he said. “[Ms. Tennant] is credible. She’s honest. She’s a nice person and people are going to see that.”
If convicted on the top charge, Ms. Tennant could face up to 25 years in prison.
