Fire engines, ambulances and even some military vehicles lined Riley Avenue in Calverton Friday afternoon. A large American flag hung from two fire trucks on Twomey Avenue.

Just before 1 p.m., the sirens blared from dozens of vehicles as a Suffolk County police motorcade led an escort for Riverhead police officer Robert Sproston as he arrived home after more than six weeks of recovery at a hospital and rehab facility.

Firefighters, fellow officers and friends cheered as the parade passed en route to Robert’s home, where he’ll continue the next phase of rehab as part of his long recovery.

Robert, 28, who is a member of the Riverhead Fire Department’s Redbird Hook & Ladder Company, was seriously injured in a March 31 crash while responding to a report of a vehicle fleeing westbound from Greenport following a burglary. He was driving north in a marked police car with emergency lights activated on Osborn Avenue and collided with another car near the intersection of Youngs Avenue, causing the police car to go off the road and into a fence. The driver who led that police pursuit has since been arrested.

Mr. Sproston’s father, Bill, who’s also a volunteer firefighter in Riverhead, posted updates on his son’s condition during the hospital and rehab stays on a GoFundMe page created shortly after the late March crash.

“The hardest part through all of this is not being able to visit him due to COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic and hoping he understands why we aren’t by his side and that it’s not by our choice,” Bill Sproston posted May 6.

On April 24, Robert Sproston received a police and fire escort from Stony Brook University Hospital to St. Charles Rehabilitation Center, a top facility for patients recovering from traumatic brain injuries.

He underwent two major surgeries at Stony Brook, the first shortly after the crash and most recently a procedure April 14 to fix an orbital fracture around his right eye. The next day, his father wrote how relieved the family was to hear from the doctor that the surgery went well. Doctors spent five hours in the operating room and it took eight hours total from the time he left his room until he returned to the ICU.

Robert will still need to undergo cosmetic parts of surgery to fix his lip and teeth.

By late April, Robert began sitting up in his chair and could stand with full assistance for 10-15 seconds, his father wrote.

“It’s baby steps like this he needs to keep taking to continue to make a strong comeback,” Bill wrote. “He’s more alert now and getting more consistent with following commands upon his assessments such as look left/right, nod your head yes/no, give me a thumbs up, give me a high five, wave to me, lift your left/right leg.”

While he continued to gain strength each day, he also easily tired.

Four weeks after the crash, as he began recovering at St. Charles, Robert walked across his room and down the hall to physical therapy session with assistance of a walker. He later wrote on an iPad: “When am I going home?”

Two weeks into the rehab, Robert made “tremendous progress” as his “strength, reflexes, fine and gross motor skills” began coming along.

“We are starting to see some of Robert’s personality shine through as well,” Mr. Sproston wrote.

Last week, Robert has his jaw unwired which allows him to begin speech therapy and working his jaw muscles again since they weren’t in use for six weeks.

“Robert has continued to show his determination and perseverance of what a true hero he is,” his father wrote.

The post Riverhead officer injured in crash receives heroes welcome home appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Someone damaged about an acre of sod on Doctors Path in Riverhead Monday morning, according to Riverhead Town police. The value of the damage was about $6,000. A police report did not indicate how the damage was done.

• A Riverhead woman told police last Wednesday morning that someone had illegally charged $200 to her debit card while it was still in her possession, according to police. 

• A saw and drill were reported stolen from a home on Point Street in South Jamesport last Wednesday morning. The total value of the stolen items is $350, according to police. 

• A red backpack leaf blower was reported stolen from a home on Marcy Avenue in Riverhead Sunday morning, according to police. 

• An officer removed some ducklings from a storm drain on West Main Street outside Main Street Haircutters last Tuesday morning, according to police.

• Southampton Town Police are investigating a report of an attempted armed robbery in Flanders last Friday.

According to police, a man reported that he interrupted two men trying to gain entry to his vehicle on Evergreen Road around 10:45 p.m. One of the men allegedly pointed a handgun before they fled the area on foot, one towards Riverside Avenue and the other towards Flanders Road.

Detectives canvassed the area but did not locate any of the suspects. The complainant allegedly told police there may have been two, three, four or five suspects but he did not get a good look at them and he never saw a handgun, but the men were pointing at him with their hands.

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 Blotters: $6,000 worth of damage reported on acre of sod on Doctors Path appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Suffolk County Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a report of possible shots fired Sunday night at the Calverton Hills town homes.

Suffolk police said the shots were reportedly fired on Hill Circle in Calverton at approximately 7:05 p.m.

No victim has been located, police said shortly before 9 p.m. It remains an active investigation.

Police had blocked off the entrance to the town home complex shortly after the incident was reported and part of Edwards Avenue was also closed.

Further information was not yet available.

The post Police investigating report of shots fired at Calverton Hills community; no victim located appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

It was quite the day at work Sunday for Riverhead police officer Michael Lombardo.

The veteran officer was involved in a pair of separate rescues, one involving a man whose hand was crushed underneath his vehicle and the second involving a victim who was choking on a piece of chicken and required the Heimlich maneuver to be revived.

Both victims were released from the hospital thanks in part to the effort of Mr. Lombardo.

The first incident was at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday when Riverhead police responded to Industrial Boulevard for a report of an adult male with a “crushing hand injury.” Mr. Lombardo found the victim’s hand was trapped underneath the brake rotor.

Police said the man had taken off his tire when the jack tipped over, causing the vehicle to drop and the brake rotor to land directly on his hand.

Mr. Lombardo used the jack to lift the car high enough so the victim could free his hand before members of the Riverhead Fire Department could arrive to assist in moving the vehicle.

The victim was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center by members of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps and was treated for a broken finger and lacerations to his hand, police said.

Later that evening, police received a call of a man who was choking and in distress at Hamilton Avenue home. Mr. Lombardo was the first officer on scene. He ran to the porch and began to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Police said in a press release that it took numerous attempts to dislodge the food. The man was becoming limp due to lack of oxygen. The officer was able to dislodge the food and the victim began to breathe on his own.

The man was also transported by RVAC to PBMC for further evaluation. He was released later that evening and is doing fine, police said.

“The Riverhead Police Department would like to acknowledge the excellent work done by Police Officer Lombardo on these two incidents,” a press release noted.

Mr. Lombardo has been with the department for 25 years, police said.

The post One day, two rescues for veteran Riverhead police officer appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Lake Grove couple has been arrested in connection with the fatal overdose of a Riverhead man, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced Wednesday.

Late last month, Riverhead police officers responded to a 911 call for an adult male who had apparently suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose.

Detectives in the East End Drug Task Force began an “extensive investigation,” into the origin of the drug, which led them to arrest Edward Primavera, 30, and Brooke Edwards, 35, during a search warrant at their Lake Grove residence Monday executed by members of the East End Drug Task Force, Suffolk County Narcotics Squad, Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct and New York State Police.

According to the district attorney, law enforcement officials seized crack cocaine, fentanyl, $1,521 in cash and drug paraphernalia including a digital scale and packaging during the raid.

 “Preliminary data has indicated that Suffolk County is experiencing an uptick in overdoses during the pandemic, which is obviously very concerning,” Mr. Sini said in a statement. “Whenever there is a fatal overdose, we treat that investigation similarly to a homicide; we take immediate steps to try to determine who sold the drugs to that victim. I’ve said many times before that we’re not going to arrest ourselves out of the drug epidemic, but law enforcement will continue to be vigilant and to arrest and prosecute drug dealers who are peddling this poison in our communities.”

Both alleged drug dealers were charged with one felony count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as two misdemeanor counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, officials said.

Mr. Primavera faces an additional charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and Ms. Edwards was charged with two additional misdemeanor counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to a press release.

They were both arraigned Tuesday and released under supervision with drug and alcohol conditions, the district attorney said. They are due back in court July 22 and if convicted of the top count, could face a maximum sentence of 8 ⅓ to 25 years in prison.

Officials did not provide additional information on the overdose victim, but Riverhead police chief David Hegermiller issued a statement thanking the DA’s office for the investigation.

“The Riverhead Police Department would like to thank the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and its East End Drug Task Force for their unending diligence in the battle against opioids and especially for this investigation into the recent fatal overdose in the Riverhead area,” the chief said.

In September, a jury acquitted a Greenport man of manslaughter after prosecutors said he knowingly sold heroin laced with fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose in Riverhead in 2018. Lashawn Lawrence was still sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison for his conviction on a lesser charge and two others charged in that case pleaded guilty for their role in the fatal overdose.

The post Arrests made in connection to fatal fentanyl overdose in Riverhead last month, DA announces appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Wading River home sustained serious damage in a fire Friday afternoon, according to Riverhead Town police.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Riverhead Town Fire Marshal’s Office.

Police responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. to the structure fire at 94 Farm Road West. The Wading River Fire Department responded along with the Rocky Point, Ridge and Sound Beach departments to extinguish the fire.

A vehicle parked in the driveway also sustained damage, police said.

The post Wading River home damaged by afternoon fire; no injuries reported appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Three men cut the lock to a shed on Duane Street in Riverhead last Saturday morning and removed a Redmax leaf blower valued at about $500, according to Riverhead Town police. 

• A weed wacker and a hedge trimmer were reported stolen from a locked shed on Sweezey Avenue in Riverhead Saturday. The value of the stolen items were not known, according to police. 

• Gregory Lee, 50, address unavailable, was charged with driving while intoxicated Friday night near John Wesley Village on Aldersgate Drive in Riverhead. 

• Jermaine Crosby, age and address unavailable, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property Monday night at Lowes on Route 58, according to police.

• A woman told police that someone removed a package from her front porch on Newton Avenue in Riverhead Friday morning. The package had a value of $400, she told police. 

• A Riverhead man told police on Sunday afternoon that someone had used his personal information to open an Amtrak account, according to police. 

• Southampton Town police arrested a 29-year-old Riverhead man on criminal mischief charges in Riverside early last Saturday.

Police received a report around 1 a.m. that a storefront window had been broken on Peconic Avenue and, together with Riverhead and state police K-9 units, followed a trail of blood leading south on County Road 104. Peconic Bay Medical Center later notified police that a man with hand lacerations and bleeding had left the hospital without treatment.

The man, Raymond Hubbard, was found near the 7-Eleven on Roanoke Avenue and told police he punched the window at Tommy’s Goldmine around 4 a.m, according to a police report.

Mr. Hubbard was arrested; charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and released on an appearance ticket, police said.

• A 57-year-old Calverton man was cited for public urination on Riverleigh Avenue in Riverside Sunday around 12:30 p.m. He was issued a town code violation and an appearance ticket, officials said.

• Contracting equipment was reported stolen from a trailer on Riverleigh Avenue in Riverside last Tuesday around 9:30 a.m.

The owner of the trailer told police that he noticed at a jobsite in Mattituck last Monday that someone had cut off the latching mechanism on the trailer and its contents, which police did not specify, were missing.

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 Blotters: Leaf blower, weed wacker reported stolen from sheds appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A series of overdoses possibly linked to fentanyl-laced cocaine in Riverhead Town resulted in at least one fatality, one arrest and an “urgent public safety alert” from Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini.

On May 20, Riverhead Town police responded to a 911 call for two males suffering apparent drug overdoses at a Riverhead residence. Responding officers administered Narcan on one of the victims, who died at the scene. The second man was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment. Police responded to those overdoses shortly after 10 p.m.

Earlier that same day, just after 3 a.m., police responded to another 911 call for a female who was suspected to have suffered a non-fatal opioid overdose. She was transported to PBMC for treament.

Police said a preliminary investigation revealed evidence that all three overdoses were connected to cocaine use and the DA’s office is investigating whether the cocaine was laced with fentanyl.

The investigation led to the arrest of Tarell Holloway, 32, of Riverhead. He is charged with three felonies: third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned Saturday. Details on the arraignment were not immediately available.

Mr. Halloway has a history of arrests, according to prior reports.

Riverhead police last week also announced the arrest of a Lake Grove couple for their connection to the fatal overdose of a Riverhead man last month.

Mr. Sini issued a warning that people “are playing Russian roulette” with their lives.

“My Office is investigating whether the presence of a deadly mixture of fentanyl-laced cocaine is responsible for causing overdoses in Suffolk County,” the DA said in a statemtn. “We are issuing a ‘buyer beware’ notice for the holiday weekend and the upcoming weeks.”

Additional cocaine laced with fentanyl may remain on the market in Suffolk County, the DA said.

The White House’s High Intensity Drug Trafficing Areas New York’New Jersey program issued a report Friday that law enforcement in Troy, N.Y. is investigating 19 overdoses, three of which were fatal, in less than 48 hours involving fentanyl-laced cocaine. Additional overdoses in the surrounding areas are also being investigated for any links to the cases in Troy.

“These reports have led to a heightened concern that this deadly drug cocktail could be on the streets in Suffolk County,” Mr. Sini said. “The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a shortage of the supply of cocaine in our area. As a result, dealers are becoming desperate and greedy for profits, so we believe they may be deceiving their customers and selling them fentanyl, which is cheaper and more readily available.”

The DA’s office and Suffolk County police arrested 15 people on Thursday for their alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar drug trafficking operation. The evidence revealed the defendants were allegedly marking up the price of cocaine because of supply shortage from the pandemic.

Mr. Sini said preliminary statistics show a 16% increase in fatal and non-fatal overdoses year-to-date compared to 2019 in the county.

“We do not want to lose even more lives to this poison,” he said.

The post DA issues ‘urgent public safety alert’ after series of overdoses linked to fentanyl-laced cocaine appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The Riverhead and Southampton police departments are advising residents to a countywide problem with their phone systems that has caused their 911 and some direct department lines to go down.

To contact Riverhead police, call 631-727-4500, ext. 352 or ext. 602. Police said there may be a delay when calling the number, but to stay on the line to be connected to the police department.

Southampton police are asking the public to call 631-702-2273 or 631-702-2223 until the system is restored.

The post Police say 911 phone system down; public directed to call departments directly appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A large police presence converged on Manor Lane in Jamesport Wednesday night as the road was blocked to traffic at both Main Road and Sound Avenue.

Riverhead Town police did not have any comment on the investigation.

A Manor Lane resident who was home Wednesday evening told the News-Review he heard about a dozen gunshots and thought it might have been hunters. Police then came to the door and told him to evacuate north or go into a basement and lock all the doors.

At 9:30 p.m., police came back and told the resident it was OK to resume normal activities.

It’s unclear if there is any victim.

Residents of Manor Lane were still being blocked from entering the road shortly before 11 p.m. Police told one resident it wasn’t safe yet to return home.

New York State police were also on scene blocking traffic at Sound Avenue while Riverhead police blocked the road at Main Road.

Suffolk County police did not have any information Wednesday evening.

*Check back for updates as police release information.

The post Police investigation shuts down Manor Lane; neighbor heard multiple gunshots appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Jamesport man was taken by ambulance to Peconic Bay Medical Center following a police-involved shooting on Manor Lane Wednesday night, according to Riverhead Town officials.

The shooting, which led to a 10-hour closure of the road as multiple police agencies responded to the scene, was precipitated by a call for a domestic dispute between a father and his adult son shortly before 8 p.m.

The son, William G. Klatt, 32, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg after exchanging gunfire with police, Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said.

Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said no officers were injured in the shooting.

Town police had been responding to a call for a domestic dispute and found Mr. Klatt barricaded inside the home, the chief said. While police spoke with his father, William J. Klatt, 60, the son fired multiple shots through an open window. He then exited the residence and approached police and his father with a shotgun, opening fire.

“We returned fire, striking the subject,” Chief Hegermiller said.

The younger Mr. Klatt, who lives at the residence with his father, is currently under arrest at the hospital. Charges are still pending and details on his arraignment have not yet been announced.

Manor Lane was closed until 6 a.m. Thursday. Even residents looking to return home were forced to park and wait along Main Road until around midnight, as Manor Lane remained a crime scene.

A Manor Lane resident who was home Wednesday evening told the News-Review he heard about a dozen gunshots and thought it might have been hunters. Police then came to the door and told him to evacuate north or go into a basement and lock all the doors.

At 9:30 p.m., police came back and told the resident it was OK to resume normal activities.

Another resident of the street said Thursday morning that she was told to stay in rooms on the far side of her home, away from the incident.

New York State police joined Riverhead in keeping the area closed to traffic. The investigation is being led by the Suffolk County Police Department, Chief Hegermiller said.

The post Jamesport man, 32, hospitalized after police-involved shooting appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

When the beheaded remains of a woman were found in a wooded area near Halsey Manor Road and the Long Island Expressway in Manorville in November 2000, the investigative technique that would make it possible for a family member’s DNA to identify her two decades later hadn’t yet come into fruition.

On Thursday, in a first for New York State, Suffolk County police announced that this modern science was used to give a name to the woman previously identified only as Jane Doe #6 in the famed Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation.

Valerie Mack, also known as Melissa Taylor, was a 24-year-old sex worker in northern Pennsylvania and South Jersey when she disappeared in 2000, Suffolk Police said in a press release identifying her as the last unidentified adult in their Long Island Serial Killer investigation. Family members last saw her in the area of Port Republic, New Jersey in the spring or summer of 2000, police said Thursday.

“For two decades, Valerie Mack’s family and friends were left searching for answers and while this is not the outcome they wanted, we hope this brings some sense of peace and closure,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart.

Ms. Mack’s remains were first discovered by a trio of hunters in Manorville on Nov. 19, 2000. She was described at the time as a white woman between 30 and 40 years old, with brown hair and a possible tattoo or other marking on her right leg. Officials believed her body had been there since the end of September 2000.

According to a Newsday report from 2000, the hunters’ dogs found the woman’s partially decomposed body, placed in several garbage bags.

A detective told Newsday that both hands and the head of the victim were missing from the set of remains. 

“It’s presumed that (cutting off the hands and head) is done in an effort to thwart identification of the victim,” Det. Lt. John Gierasch told Newsday at the time.

Ms. Mack’s head, hands and right foot were discovered along Ocean Parkway near Oak Beach 11 years later as police launched an investigation into missing woman Shannan Gilbert.

Ms. Gilbert, who also worked as an escort, went missing from a client’s home in Oak Beach on May 1, 2010. In the months that followed, police discovered several sets of remains in the area, including Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello who all reportedly worked as escorts. All four women were reported missing between July 2007 and September 2010; their remains were found in December 2010.

While police continued their investigation into 2011, another set of partial skeletal remains belonging to Jessica Taylor, another known escort, were located March 29, 2011. According to police, portions of Ms. Taylor’s remains had been previously discovered on July 26, 2003, near the same spot in Manorville as Jane Doe #6.

More remains of Jane Doe #6 were found near Oak Beach on April 4, 2011, along with an unidentified female toddler and unidentified Asian male.

The following week, police discovered two additional sets of remains seven miles away from the April 4 scene, believed to be the mother of the toddler and another unidentified person linked to human remains found in Davis Park on Fire island in 1996.

Earlier this year, police announced the use of DNA techniques and a partnership with the FBI to advance the investigation. The county also approved searching public genealogy databases to identify unknown victims.

On Thursday, the police commissioner said that technology led to this recent breakthrough in the case.

“I would like to thank the FBI for its continued support and partnership in the Gilgo Beach homicide investigation and for their assistance utilizing scientific techniques that has moved this case forward,” Ms. Hart said in a statement. “We will continue to use every investigative tool available to aggressively investigate these murders.”

The post In a first for NY, law enforcement uses genetic genealogy to identify woman whose remains were found in Manorville, Gilgo Beach appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Mastic man who was allegedly driving under the influence was ejected from his SUV and suffered serious injuries following a collision with a heavy truck on County Road 51 Friday morning, according to Southampton Town police.

Gregory Lee, 50, was driving a 2014 Buick SUV and struck a 2009 International Heavy Truck, causing him to be ejected from the vehicle when it rolled over, police said. The 27-year-old driver of the truck sustained minor injuries.

The crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m.

The Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance transported Mr. Lee to Stony Brook University Hospital. The Riverhead Fire Department assisted at the scene along with the New York Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Southampton detectives determined Mr. Lee was driving under the influence and he is facing charges of felony DWI, driving with a suspended license and driving without a proper interlock device.

He will be arraigned at Southampton Justice Court on a later date, police said.

The post Cops: Driver under influence ejected from vehicle during crash on County Road 51 appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Someone removed $20 from an unlocked vehicle on Cove Street in Aquebogue last Wednesday morning. A similar complaint was made a short time later on Shade Tree Lane in Aquebogue, where someone got away with only some loose change, according to police. Several other reports of a person rummaging through unlocked cars in that neighborhood also were received at about the same time. 

• A resident’s Ring camera got video of a man reaching into a vehicle on Newtown Avenue in Riverhead last Thursday morning at 2 a.m. through a partially opened window and then leaving in a silver four-door sedan, police said. Nothing appeared to have been taken, police said. 

• Several unknown juveniles removed more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from the 7-Eleven near the Department of Motor Vehicles on Route 58 early Friday. The case is being investigated, according to police. 

• An Ostrander Avenue resident told police last Wednesday that they were the victim of a phone scam and had sent a $1,000 gift card to an unknown person, according to police. 

• Tarell Holloway, age and address unavailable, was charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, while Stephanie Nash, age and address unavailable, was charged with fourth-degree criminal facilitation Friday afternoon at Home Depot on Route 58. 

• James Nowack, age and address unavailable, was charged with first-degree contempt of court and second-degree harassment Saturday morning at the Riverside Laundry on West Main Street. 

• A loose goat was returned to its owners on Sound Avenue last Wednesday morning, according to police, who made sure the fence was secured before leaving.

• Southampton Town police arrested a 34-year-old man after he threatened a woman with a bat in Flanders last Monday.

Police responded to a residence on Maple Avenue around 1 p.m. after a woman reported that Elias Baquedano Espinoza of Riverhead threatened to kill her while holding a bat in a threatening manner.

He was arrested and charged with third-degree menacing, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both misdemeanors, as well as a marijuana-related violation, police said.

• Quenia Soler Carranza, 39, of Riverhead was arrested for driving with a suspended vehicle registration on County Road 39 in Tuckahoe last Tuesday just before 10 p.m., according to a police report. 

• State police arrested Kevin Aguilar, 27, of Riverside near Phillips Avenue in Riverside early Sunday morning after a motor vehicle accident investigation determined he was in possession of a stolen vehicle.

He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and turned over to Southampton police for an outstanding warrant, officials said. A police report did not contain additional information on the motor vehicle accident.

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 Blotters: Police investigating several reports of someone rummaging through cars in Aquebogue appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Charges have now been filed against a Jamesport man who fired a shotgun out his Manor Lane home toward police who were responding to a domestic incident Wednesday night, according to Suffolk County police.

William G. Klatt, 32, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg after exchanging gunfire with police and is now being charged with second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment, police said.

Town police had been responding to a call for a domestic dispute and found Mr. Klatt barricaded inside the home, the chief said. While police spoke with his father, William J. Klatt, 60, the son fired multiple shots through an open window. He then exited the residence and approached police and his father with a shotgun, opening fire.

No officers were shot, but three officers were transported to PBMC for treatment of minor injuries, police said. William J. Klatt was also transported for minor injuries.

Mr. Klatt was arraigned in Riverhead Town Justice Court Friday. Judge Lori Hulse granted him bail of $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond. He remains in custody at Peconic Bay Medical Center and is due back in Suffolk County Court June 1. The judge also ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

The post Man who exchanged gunfire with police in Jamesport charged with assault, reckless endangerment appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Flanders man, who stole cash and a tablet from the backpack of another man, was arrested after his victim chased him down Monday night, Southampton Town police said.

Rony Geovanny Bonilla-Morales, 27, of Flanders was charged with third-degree robbery following his arrest around 9 p.m. Monday.

Police said Mr. Bonilla-Morales forcibly removed a backpack from a man he knew while they were on Maple Avenue in Flanders, taking the items.

The victim ran him down and called police. Both the Southampton Town police and a K9 unit from the New York State police responded to the scene.

Mr. Bonilla-Morales is expected to be arraigned Tuesday at Southampton Town Justice Court.

The post Flanders man charged in robbery after victim chases him down appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Riverhead Town police are seeking the public’s help to locate a missing 17-year-old boy.

Jordan Spraker was last seen at the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch Friday and may be going to Schnectady. Police said he has straight blonde hair and blue eyes and is 165 pounds.

No foul play is suspected.

Anyone with information should contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500, ext. 312.

The post Teenager reported missing from Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Amber McGlone, 23, address uavailable, was charged with driving while intoxicated and unlawful possession of marijuana Monday night on Elton Street and Ostrander Avenue in Riverhead, according to Riverhead Town police. 

• Jermaine Crosby, age and address unavailable, was charged with petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor, early last Wednesday morning on Fanning Boulevard. He was processed at police headquarters and released on a desk appearance ticket, according to police. 

Additional information was not available. 

• A woman was seen stealing $900 worth of merchandise from Target on Route 58 Wednesday and then leaving in a older model Nissan sedan, according to police. 

• A vehicle that had been reported stolen was located on Prospect Place in Riverhead. Additional information was not available. 

• A man removed several items from Big Lots on Route 58 last Tuesday night without paying, according to police.  

• A red bicycle was reported stolen near Goldberg’s Famous Bagels on Main Road in Jamesport last Friday morning. The value of the bicycle was not known, according to police. 

• A Riverhead woman told police Saturday morning that an unknown person used her personal information to open three Charles Schwab accounts in March. 

• A woman told police Monday afternoon that someone stole her purse from her unlocked car at the Shop & Shop parking lot.

• Southampton Town police responded to a residence on Maple Avenue in Flanders after a man reported $1,500 missing from his wallet Sunday around 2 p.m.

When an officer arrived, the complainant told police he was sleeping on the floor with his friend and when he woke up, he noticed his wallet was on the floor with all its contents around it and missing cash, police said.

When the man confronted his friend, he ran out of the residence and left the area, officials said. Detectives are investigating the incident. 

• A Flanders man reported an attempted scam to police last Wednesday around 5 p.m.

According to police, the man received a text message from an unknown person telling him that he had 24 hours to send a $1,000 check and threatening to release intimate photos of the man on Facebook.

Detectives were notified about the incident, a report 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 Police Blotters: DWI, petit larceny arrests appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Riverhead police are asking the public to help locate two teenagers who were reported missing from the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch.

Elijah Little, 17, and Kleven Valle, 15, were reportedly seen leaving the facility together at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Police believe the teens are in Nassau County, possibly in Hempstead.

Officials said the two left the facility on their own and no foul play is suspected. 

Police described Elijah Little as a black male, six feet one inch tall and 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Kleven was described as a hispanic male, five foot four inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

Anyone with information should contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500, ext. 312.

The post Two teenagers reported missing from Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

In March, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and placed nearly every aspect of life on “pause,” counselors at The Retreat, an agency that comes to the aid of sexual and domestic abuse victims on the East End, were preparing for an influx of calls.

Many of those calls did not come, leading advocates to worry that victims have become even more isolated as a byproduct of the pandemic.

“We felt people weren’t able to call because they were trapped with their abuser,” Loretta Davis, executive director of The Retreat, said in an interview last Friday. “Home isn’t really safe.”

It’s that knowledge, Ms. Davis said, that led the organization to launch a new online live-chat option, in addition to counseling via telephone and Zoom. “We felt we had more to do,” she said, after seeing an initial drop off in calls. Ms. Davis said the chat capability includes an option to easily exit and automatically erases the messages to provide an added level of security.

As restrictions began to ease in May, however, Ms. Davis said she noticed an uptick in calls. On one particular day, a woman called three or four times. “She was able to lock herself in a room, in a shed. People could finally make that call,” Ms. Davis said.

Locally, police statistics also do not necessarily reflect the same sharp rise in domestic violence that has been documented at state and national levels since the crisis began. 

According to a report released last Thursday by Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller, total calls received by the department overall are down from 2019. Riverhead police responded to 63 domestic incidents in April 2020, compared to 58 in April 2019. In January of this year, Riverhead police received 80 domestic violence calls, the report said.

“Basically, we are down almost in everything except for domestic incidents and non-criminal incidents. Even domestics are not going up that much. We’re only up by five from the 2019 numbers,” Chief Hegermiller explained during a Riverhead Town Board work session last week. “Last month, the domestic incidents were down even more. They were down by 20 or so. So we’re in good shape. It has actually been a slow couple of months on that front,” he said.

In Southold, Police Chief Martin Flatley said, “Those calls are on the upswing. I’ve looked at [reports for March] but I think April will tell, when that comes in.” In March 2019 the department had 12 domestic calls; 15 were received in the same month this year, he said. 

“People are shuttered in their house with family members, or with other situations where there’s orders of protection in place,” Chief Flatley said. “But we haven’t got to the point where the numbers are up dramatically.”

Ms. Davis said it’s not surprising that calls to police were down, since an estimated 40% of domestic and sexual assault incidents go unreported. “We’re first responders, really, to this,” she said, adding that many survivors fear making even an anonymous phone call for help since abusers thrive on misinformation.

“ ‘Oh, The Retreat’s not open. If you go for help, you’ll get sick or I’ll go report you and you’ll be deported,’ ” Ms. Davis said, giving examples of how abusers manipulate. “Any kind of leverage that can be used.”

At last week’s work session, Riverhead Councilwoman Catherine Kent said she’d read that numbers for child abuse calls had also ticked down. “I think it’s possibly because they’re not getting reported, since they’re not in school,” she said.

Ms. Davis noted that teachers are considered mandatory reporters and she fears those numbers are also growing invisibly. The Retreat has also received a higher than usual volume of phone calls related to basic services, including finding food and shelter.

Advocates there, and with other agencies across Long Island, are now preparing for what could be a flood of calls as restrictions continue to be lifted.

“As things loosen up and people have a little more freedom and privacy, we do expect a huge surge,” Ms. Davis said. “We’re going to be a part of the recovery.”

According to Chief Hegermiller’s report, virtually all other crimes are down in Riverhead. Just seven arrests were reported in April 2020, down from 91 in April 2019. The chief also suggested that there has been a slight increase in opioid overdoses, which has also been reported regionally.

The post Local agencies concerned about unreported domestic violence cases during pandemic appeared first on Riverhead News Review.