A person was shot and killed while sitting in a vehicle outside a Riverside home Tuesday night, Suffolk County police said.

The victim — whose identity hasn’t been released by police — was killed at 9:37 p.m., police said. No arrests have been made.

County homicide detectives were called to the scene and are investigating the killing, police said.

Police didn’t release whether the victim was a man or a woman, and didn’t give more details about the shooting due to the ongoing investigation.

Check back for more information as it becomes available.

Photo credit: Chris Lisinski

Two men are facing a slew of charges — including felony robbery, burglary, and conspiracy — in connection with a home invasion in Flanders last week after they were arrested Monday, according to a Southampton Town police press release.

One of the men led police on a drunken car chase through Hampton Bays before he was arrested, causing a crash that seriously injured a bystander. He later hurt a police officer while resisting arrest, according to the press release.

Police said they arrested 27-year-old Charles M. Schruggs of Riverhead and 28-year-old Roy Jones Jr. of Shirley for breaking into an occupied home on Flanders Road around 1:10 a.m. last Tuesday and robbing its residents.

Police initially reported that three armed men entered the home “brandishing a box cutter, a silver handgun and a shotgun.” The men took more than $1,000. The men had tried breaking into another home on Albany Avenue earlier, but failed, police said.

Mr. Schruggs was arrested Monday without incident and charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and fourth-degree conspiracy, all felonies, police said.

But when police tried to arrest Mr. Jones at the UA Theater in Hampton Bays, he fled the scene in a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. He drove south on Springville Road, but less than two blocks away, he “caused a motor vehicle crash and the serious injury of a 23-year-old Hampton Bays woman,” the release stated.

He then fled on foot and fought with police once they caught up with him, according to the press release. One officer was injured and required hospital treatment, but was later released in stable condition, police said.

Mr. Jones was arrested and taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment of the injuries he sustained in the crash. At his bedside, he was arraigned on felony first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and fourth-degree conspiracy charges, as well as felony assault on a police officer, felony leaving the scene of an accident with a serious physical injury, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, misdemeanor third-degree aggravated unlicensed driving, driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.

Police did not report an arrest of the third suspect.

The home invasion and subsequent arrests come in the wake of a series of dozens of car break-ins over the past few months, though police previously said no evidence connects the crimes.

clisinski@timesreview.com

A downtown store that was the scene of an armed robbery on Nov. 1 fell victim to crime again early Wednesday morning, according to Riverhead Police.

Officers responded to an alarm at Damaris Multi Services on East Main Street at 1:39 a.m. and found the glass to the front door smashed in, according to police.

The thief or thieves took several cellphones from a glass counter and fled, officials said.

A police K9 unit tracked the area and police say the suspect took off in a westbound direction, although no one was located.

Police ask anyone with information pertaining to the case to call them at 727-4500.

This same location, which is within walking distance of police headquarters, had been robbed in broad daylight on Nov. 1, when a man wearing all black with a red bandanna covering his face entered the store and displayed a black handgun to employees shortly before 2 p.m., and then fled on foot with $2,300 cash the he stole from the store’s cash register, according to police.

Within a day of that robbery, police arrested Ishmael Norris, 24, whom they said is homeless. He was charged him with first-degree robbery, a felony.

A police K-9 unit had tracked Mr. Norris to a nearby apartment complex, where he was located and arrested, according to police.

In the wake of a rash of car break-ins in Flanders and a fatal shooting that occurred two nights ago in neighboring Riverside, local civic groups are planning to head to next week’s Town Board meeting and tell their elected officials something: They have had enough.

“It’s bubbling over now in terms of anger,” said Vince Taldone, president of the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association. “And at this point, some people don’t even call the police, because why bother?”

Residents were on edge last week when Southampton Police have reported that upwards of 60 cars have been broken into in Flanders over the past few months. After a man was shot and killed in his car on Old Quogue Road on Tuesday night, locals with both FRNCA and the Bayview Pines Civic Association plan on asking the town to allocate more funds to the town police department.

While town leaders have told locals police presence has been increased in the area, some have said they aren’t noticing it.

“What we’re being appeased with is not matching what we’re seeing,” said Ron Fisher, president of Bayview Pines. “I’m not upset with the police. I’m upset with the quantity and the amount of money being allocated to police.”

Mr. Fisher said that in broad daylight this week, he was solicited by a prostitute while getting the mail at his mother’s house.

For the 32-year-old who grew up in Flanders and has lived in the hamlet for almost his entire life, the incident is reflective of one that shows a different time in the area he’s known all his life.

“It’s absolutely worse [than when I grew up],” he said.

At the last Town Board meeting on Nov. 10, Susan Tocci spoke publicly about crime in Flanders.

“I’m asking for the Town Board to do something to help Southampton Police Department,” she said.

Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said on Thursday that to deal with issues in the short-term, the department has added an additional squad car at night — a combination of adding another officer to the area, and sometimes pulling a squad car from another sector. In addition, she said the town is working with the county and state to patrol the area.

Over the long term, she said that both hamlets will benefit to an ongoing revitalization effort that is in the works in Riverside, called Riverside Rediscovered.

“That revitalization effort is one of the most comprehensive efforts, top to bottom, the island has ever seen,” she said. “And the fact that it is situated right there in what is an area that needs it more than anywhere else on Long Island is what will begin to truly improve what has been a deterioration of that area.”

Bayview Pines also started an online petition to demand that State Police keep its dispatcher located in Riverside. The state had been considering moving the position to Farmingdale to allow that officer to patrol the area.

“With all of this awful stuff going on, how do you propose a reduction of any kind?” Mr. Taldone asked.

Next Tuesday’s Town Board meeting starts at 6 p.m. in Town Hall, at 116 Hampton Road.

jpinciaro@timesreview.com

Two men police say were involved in a home invasion in Flanders last week remain in custody after appearances this week.

According to Southampton Justice Court records, 28-year-old Roy Jones Jr. of Shirley is being held on $300,000 bond after his most recent appearance and is due back in court in January.

Riverhead resident Charles Schruggs, 27, remains held at Suffolk County Correctional Facility on $50,000 bond and $25,000 cash and is also due back in January.

Southampton police said that the two — along with a third person — broke into a Flanders home around 1 a.m. last Tuesday “brandishing a box cutter, a silver handgun and a shotgun.”

The men took more than $1,000 and had tried breaking into another home on Albany Avenue earlier, but failed, police said.

Mr. Schruggs was arrested Monday without incident and charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and fourth-degree conspiracy, all felonies, police said.

But when police tried to arrest Mr. Jones at the UA Theater in Hampton Bays, he fled the scene in a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. He drove south on Springville Road, but less than two blocks away, he “caused a motor vehicle crash and the serious injury of a 23-year-old Hampton Bays woman,” the release stated.

He then fled on foot and fought with police once they caught up with him, according to the press release. One officer was injured and required hospital treatment, but was later released in stable condition, police said.

Mr. Jones was arrested and taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment of the injuries he sustained in the crash. At his bedside, he was arraigned on felony first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and fourth-degree conspiracy charges, as well as felony assault on a police officer, felony leaving the scene of an accident with a serious physical injury, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, misdemeanor third-degree aggravated unlicensed driving, driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.

He remains at PMBC, a court clerk said on Friday.

No information has been released the potential third suspect.

Southampton Town police arrested a 22-year-old Mastic man in connection with a burglary in Riverside Nov. 14.

Christ Massillon was found inside a mobile home on Flanders Road at around 7:30 p.m. after police received a call that someone had broken into the home, officials said. Police discovered that Mr. Massillon had allegedly been in a physical altercation with the homeowner in front of a 3-year-old girl and a 6-month-old girl.

He was charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, fourth-degree criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors, police said.

• Police arrested a Central Islip woman and Flanders man for an act of public lewdness in Flanders Nov. 14.

Julieta Lima-Aguilar, 34, and Daniel Suarez-Mayorga, 50, were arrested at around 8:45 p.m. on Maple Avenue after someone called police reporting a suspicious vehicle parked at the dead end of the road, officials said. When police arrived they allegedly saw Ms. Lima-Aguilar performing a sex act on Mr. Suarez-Mayorga.

They were both charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor, police said.

• A 28-year-old man was arrested for driving without a license in Flanders Nov. 13.

Jonathan Corrigan, of Southampton, was stopped for towing a trailer with an inadequate taillight while driving southbound on Flanders Road at about 7 p.m., police said.

He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, insufficient tail lamps and operating a trailer without a registration plate, both violations, police said.

• Three men got into a fight at Rancho Latino on Flanders Road at about 10:30 p.m. Nov. 14, police said. The complainant allegedly exited the men’s bathroom when an intoxicated man who was waiting at the door began complaining that the victim took too long. The two began fighting before the complainant’s uncle came over and punched the drunk man in the face, police said. Both the complainant and his uncle said they were then struck in the face, officials said. The drunk man had fled the scene by the time police arrived, officials said.

• Someone opened an unlocked passenger-side door and hatchback of a trailer parked in an Oak Avenue driveway in Flanders overnight Nov. 12, police said. Nothing was taken.

• Between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 someone entered an Albany Avenue home in Flanders and “ransacked” it, throwing clothes all over the floor in the living room and basement, police said. Tools and children’s clothing were stolen, officials said.

• A car parked in a Brookhaven Avenue driveway in Flanders had its driver’s-side window broken overnight Nov. 9, police said. Nothing was removed.

Southampton Police arrested someone they say is responsible for recent car break-ins in the Flanders and Riverside area.

According to police, 50-year-old Anthony Jenkins of Riverside was arrested on Saturday after he was caught stealing soup and hot dogs from Marta’s Deli in Riverside.

Police charged Mr. Jenkins with petit larceny, and also charged him with three more counts of petit larceny as well as two counts of criminal mischief. Police said he had broken into cars on Riverside Avenue, Flanders Road, Brookhaven Avenue, Albany Avenue and had stolen money in the cars.

Police said he was held overnight at headquarters.

It is not clear if police are still searching for suspects in relation to a rash of car break-ins in the area.

Check back as more information becomes available.

Southampton police caught two drunk drivers within hours of each other early Sunday in Flanders, according to a police news release.

The first driver was arrested at about 2:11 a.m. when he allegedly crashed into a utility pole on Gilder Avenue in Flanders. Police said 29-year-old Flanders resident Belizario Escobar was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was charged with two misdemeanors for DWI, as well as traffic violations for driving without a license and failing to stay in his lane.

Mr. Escobar was held overnight to be arraigned in Southampton Town court, police said.

The second arrest occurred at 3:30 a.m. that same night, when Adriana Aquino, 27, of Flanders was arrested on Flanders Road.

Police said Ms. Aquino was stopped for a traffic infraction, but police determined she was driving drunk. Ms. Aquino was charged with DWI, a misdemeanor.

She was arraigned in Southampton Justice Court later that day and released on $500 bail, according to a news release.

A 22-year-old Riverhead man was arrested on a weapon and drug charges after police pulled him over in Northampton on Friday, New York State police said. 

Naquan Crawford was stopped at the intersection of Lake Avenue and Route 51 for a traffic violation, police said. He was then arrested for third-degree criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon —  both felonies — seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Police did not specify what type of weapon was recovered.

Mr. Crawford was held for arraignment at Southampton Town Court.

• A 54-year-old Riverhead man spotted driving on Doctors Path without headlights was found to be driving drunk, police said.

Lonnie Pray was charged with DWI and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on Wednesday, police said.

He was released on an appearance ticket and is due back in Riverhead Town Court on Dec. 14, police said.

• A 43-year-old Riverhead man faces several charges in relation to a domestic incident, police said. Juan Villavicencio was charged on Friday with fourth-degree stalking, second-degree criminal trespass, third-degree assault — all misdemeanors — multiple counts of criminal mischief as well as petit larceny, police said.

Mr. Villavicencio was held for arraignment at Riverhead Town Court, police said.

• A 49-year-old Riverhead woman arrested for DWI after a traffic stop on Route 58, police said. Debora Clifford was released on traffic tickets returnable to Riverhead Town Court on Dec. 14, police said.

Exactly $669.38 worth of frozen shrimp was reported stolen from Stop & Shop on Route 58 Monday morning, according to police, who say an unknown male was seen removing the items.

It was the second shrimp heist reported in the area in recent years: in 2013, four Calverton residents were accused of stealing roughly $2,400 in shrimp from supermarkets in eastern Brookhaven Town.

• A 15-year-old male was arrested and charged with third-degree assault Nov. 10 on Segal Avenue, according to police. Additional information was not available because of the suspect’s age.

• A VCR, assorted clothing and accessories, and food were reported stolen from a room at the Swiss Motel on West Main Street on Nov. 10. The missing items are valued at about $195, according to police.

• Brendon Knapp, age and address unavailable, was charged with petit larceny following his arrest Nov. 11 at Walmart on Route 58, where he is accused of stealing various hardware items, according to police.

• Asher Ezekowitz, 31, address unavailable, was charged with petit larceny after being arrested at P.C. Richard and Son on Route 58 last Thursday afternoon. Mr. Ezekowitz, an employee of the store, is accused of taking $71 from the cash register, according to police.

• A Calverton woman told police on Tuesday morning that someone had removed two credit cards from her wallet and made purchases at Stop & Shop in Riverhead. The amount of the purchases was not known.

The Wading River Fire District got a big boost Tuesday, earning a $200,000 grant from Senator Ken LaValle to help improve their communication systems as the district drafts a bond for building and radio upgrades.

The grant will be used to replace the radio tower station at the district’s second firehouse on Hulse Landing Road. The tower was installed in the early 1980s, according to District Commissioner Glenn Erick.

“We’re very excited to receive this grant,” said Chief Kevin Mcqueeney. “Anything that comes with communications comes with a large price tag and this money is definitely going to be helpful to us communicating throughout the fire district.”

The fire district said it needs to upgrade it’s communication devices to make sure firefighters will be able to stay in contact with other departments in Suffolk County.

New equipment purchased with the grant money will also bring the district up to “P25″ standard, meaning they’ll be able to communicate with federal, state and local public safety agencies as well as mutual aid response teams during emergencies, said commissioner Michael Harrigan.

In the application for the grant, Mr. Harrigan said that the district currently relies on an “antiquated radio system on the low band frequencies.”

This system has at times become unreliable during bad weather and has only gotten worse with more development in town over the years. The Shoreham-Wading River High School, Defense Hill and Little Flower are all areas that have signal difficulty, Mr. Erick said.

So the district is looking into sharing the new radio towers with Riverhead Police Department to help improve their portable radio signals as well.

“They’re stuck in the same boat we are,” Mr. Harrigan said. “If we can provide safety, it’s all about public safety. Police are just as important in how we respond.”

But the grant will only cover part of the necessary changes. The district is looking to upgrade its ultra high frequency radio equipment, the radio tower at headquarters on North Country Road, a mobile data computer and radio systems in the department’s 14 trucks and four chiefs’ cars, Mr. Harrigan said.

The whole project’s total cost is $735,000.

The remaining $535,000 will be included in a bond the district is putting together with H2M Architects and Engineers. The bond proposal will include plans to renovate the fire stations, especially the one on Hulse Landing Road. Mr. Erick said the preliminary bond proposal will hopefully be ready for review in 2016.

Although the bond is not yet completed, Mr. Harrigan said the grant money will be used immediately to replace the tower.

nsmith@timesreview.com

Photo Caption: Wading River Fire District Commissioners Glenn Erick and Michael Harrigan, Senator Kenneth LaValle, Chief Kevin Mcqueeney and Chief Anthony Bitalvo.

Southampton Town Board member Brad Bender pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone as part of a $1.8 million scheme involving a Riverhead physician assistant who had previously been arrested by federal agents. 

Mr. Bender admitted in federal court that between July 2012 and June 2015, he received phony prescriptions for oxycodone from Riverhead physician assistant Michael Troyan and illegally exchanged the oxycodone pills for cash and steroids with another co-conspirator.

The oxycodone pills were then re-sold to drug abusers, authorities said. Prosecutors did not identify the other co-conspirator.

Mr. Bender now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine.

Mr. Bender had been interviewed by investigators earlier this month when Mr. Troyan was arrested and confessed, assistant district attorney Allen Bode said Tuesday. Mr. Bender resigned from his post on the Town Board Tuesday morning.

At his arraignment in Eastern District court, Mr. Bender said he’d be able to make his $100,000 bond. He will surrender his passport tomorrow and be limited to travel within the continental United States. He will also be subject to drug testing and treatment as part of his plea agreement.

Speaking with reporters outside the courtroom Tuesday Mr. Bender said Mr. Troyan has been his “longtime physician.” His attorney, Brian J. DeSesa, said Mr. Bender became addicted to prescription pills Mr. Troyan legally prescribed him following an injury four years ago.

“He got addicted like so many have,” said Mr. DeSesa, who added that his client is remorseful he let the addiction get the better of him.

Mr. Bender said he hopes the people of his community forgive him.

“I just hope that they would give me a blessing in my recovery,” he said. “That they would still expect to see me as a participant in my community, which I’m still dedicated to. Right now is time for my recovery and my family. I ask for your patience with that.

“I would say if you’re having an issue with prescription medications to seek out the help that you need and unfortunately my physician was not the correct one to help me with my issue. If you are having a problem please get some help.”

United States Attorney Robert Capers offered the following statement Tuesday: “Abuse of oxycodone on Long Island has reached epidemic proportions. Councilman Bender’s actions in this oxycodone distribution conspiracy victimized the very community he was entrusted to represent. Today’s guilty plea should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law, including those entrusted with passing our laws.”

Southampton Town Board members accepted Mr. Bender’s resignation in executive session at a special Town Board meeting on Tuesday.

“My hope would be that we could schedule it as soon as possible, which would be the end of January, so we can have a full board,” said Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst. “In the meantime, I just want to assure people that we will be conducting business as a Town Board. This is a shock to all of us, but I want to make sure that we will continue to conduct business to the best of our abilities.”

The supervisor said the board plans to schedule a special election within 60 to 90 days.

Prior to his earning his seat on the Town Board in 2013, Mr. Bender served for years as the president of the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association.

When Mr. Bender ran for office in 2011, FRNCA amended its bylaws to permit Vince Taldone — who lives in Riverhead but owns property in Riverside — to step up as president since nobody else volunteered for the post.

Mr. Taldone, who called himself a personal friend of Mr. Bender’s after working on community issues with him for so long, said he was “heartbroken and surprised as anyone else to hear this.”

“It’s also bizarre, particularly today,” he added. “We were going to go tonight [to a Town Board meeting] to demand more police protection against drug dealers, and our councilman gets arrested for dealing drugs.”

Mr. Taldone said the news was hard to accept not only as a friend but as a fellow volunteer in the community.

“I have such a good recollection of the work he’s done to support that community.”

The drug ring the councilman was involved in was allegedly led by Mr. Troyan, federal prosecutors have said. The scheme reportedly involved the sales of over 60,000 oxycodone pills that netted $1.8 million in street sales.

Mr. Troyan was released on bond earlier this month.

Photo credit: Joe Werkmeister 

With Erin McKinley — The Southampton Press

Riverhead and Southampton Police Departments announced that patrols last night, conducted with other East End officers as part of the East End DWI Task Force, netted eight driving while intoxicated arrests.

Riverhead Police arrested the following people:

• John Piquette, 31, of Brooklyn, on charges of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree;
• Kenneth Sawler, 34, of Riverhead. He was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated;
• Roger Foster, 19, of Baiting Hollow, on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlawful possession of marijuana;
• Robert Conners, 26, of Sayville, on a driving while intoxicated charge.

Riverhead police said enforcement will continue throughout the holidays and into 2016.

Southampton Police arrested 46-year-old Maria Fransisco of Flanders and Andre Baskin, 39, of Riverhead, on DWI charges. Four others were also charged with DWI in Southampton, who patrolled from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Two others were arrested for outstanding warrants and one for criminal possession of a weapon.

Southampton Police reported that there were no vehicle collisions resulting in serious injuries last night.

Photo credit: davidsonscott15 / Visualhunt / CC BY

Police are seeking information about a shooting near Route 58 that occurred early this morning.

According to authorities, two men shot at another man in the parking lot outside of a restaurant at Riverhead Centre, at the intersection of Mill Road and the busy thoroughfare. Police said no one was injured during the shooting.

Riverhead P.D. received a call about gunshots around 12:10 a.m. The two alleged shooters then fled the area westbound on Route 58.

Police later determined that the incident was not random, and the victim had prior dealings with the shooters.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call police at 727-4500. All calls will remain confidential.

A 54-year-old Riverhead man who was spotted driving on Doctors Path without headlights was found to be driving drunk, New York State police said. 

Lonnie Pray was charged with DWI and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance last Wednesday, police said. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due back in Riverhead Town Court Dec. 14.

• A 43-year-old Riverhead man faces several charges in relation to a domestic incident, state police said.

Juan Villavicencio was charged Friday with fourth-degree stalking, second-degree criminal trespass, third-degree assault — all misdemeanors — along with multiple counts of criminal mischief as well as petit larceny, police said.

Mr. Villavicencio was held for arraignment at Riverhead Town Court, police said.

• A 49-year-old Riverhead woman was arrested for DWI after a Route 58 traffic stop, state police said. Debora Clifford was released on traffic tickets returnable to Riverhead Town Court on Dec. 14, police said.

• An unidentified man stole a vinyl pencil case worth $50 from a shopping cart at Walmart on Route 58 last Thursday morning, police said.

• A Calverton woman told police Nov. 17 that someone stole two credit cards from her wallet and made unspecified purchases with them. The case is being investigated by the detective division, police said.

• A woman told police Nov. 18 that someone took her wallet from her purse at Living Water Full Gospel Church on Shade Tree Lane in Aquebogue.

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 Flanders woman on an assault charge in Riverside on Nov. 19. 

The 20-year-old was allegedly recorded on video striking her three-year-old child multiple times with a belt at their Ludlam Avenue home at around 11:55 p.m., police said.

She was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and acting in a manner to injure a child under 17, a misdemeanor, police said. Her name is not being reported to protect the identity of the child.

• A 20-year-old man was arrested on an assault charge on Nov. 22 in Riverside.

The man was arrested on Old Quogue Road at around 6:30 a.m. after police spoke with a woman at Peconic Bay Medical Center who said she was assaulted by him in the presence of her children after a verbal dispute escalated, police said. She also said that the man took her cellphone to prevent her from calling police, officials said.

He was charged with third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17, all misdemeanors, police said. His name is not being reported to protect the identity of the victim.

• Police arrested a Westhampton Beach man for driving under the influence of drugs on Nov. 16 in Flanders.

Patrick Gray, 35, was stopped for failing to signal and failing to stop at a stop sign at around 10:30 p.m. on Flanders Avenue, police said. When stopped, he reportedly smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, was unbalanced and failed standard field sobriety tests. He was administered tests that proved he was under the influence of marijuana and PCP, police said.

Mr. Gray was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction and first-degree unlicensed operation, both felonies, and numerous traffic violations, police said.

• Police arrested a 29-year-old man for drunken driving in Flanders on Nov. 21.

C. Mendoza-Baquiax, of Flanders, was seen entering Flanders Road from the 7-Eleven parking lot at around 2:15 a.m. in an unsafe manner, causing another vehicle to skid in order to avoid an accident, police said. Upon being stopped, Mr. Mendoza-Baquiax smelled strongly of alcohol, was unsteady standing and failed standard field sobriety tests, officials said.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and failing to yield the right of way, a violation.

• A Calverton man was arrested for circumventing his interlock device in Riverside on Nov. 22.

Jovito Garcia, 39, was seen driving on Pine Street at around 4:20 p.m. with only one headlight, police said. Once stopped, the officer allegedly learned that Mr. Garcia was supposed to have an interlock device.

He was charged with circumventing an interlock device, a misdemeanor, and driving without a headlight, a violation.

• Police arrested a Riverhead man for circumventing an interlock device in Tuckahoe on Nov. 18.

Darmin Cojon, 33, was stopped for speeding and failing to use a turn signal on County Road 39 at around 10:30 p.m., police said. The officer then learned that Mr. Cojon had a suspended license and was supposed to be using an interlock device, according to a report.

He was charged with circumventing an interlock device and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors.

• Police arrested a Brooklyn man for driving with a suspended license on Nov. 18 in Riverside.

Faris Huremovic, 21, was stopped for an equipment violation at around 10:45 a.m. on Ludlam Avenue when police learned he had a suspended driver’s license, officials said.

He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and having nontransparent side windows, a violation.

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.

An 18-year-old man was arrested Sunday and charged with burglarizing a downtown business located in the same shopping center where another convenience store had been robbed twice earlier this month, Riverhead Town police said.

Malik Rose of Riverhead broke the glass door at Mi Casa Multi-Service during the overnight hours and stole six cell phones, police said. The suspect was caught breaking into the East Main Street store on surveillance video, officials said.

He was charged with third-degree burglary and held for an arraignment, police said.

In August, Mr. Rose was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and petit larceny at OK Petro on East Main Street, according to previous police reports.

Sunday’s incident marks the third robbery reported at the same shopping center this month.

Officers responded to an alarm at Damaris Multi-Service on Nov. 18 and found the glass front door was smashed and several cellphones were stolen, police said. This location was also robbed in broad daylight on Nov. 1, when a man armed with a handgun stole $2,300 from store’s cash register, officials said.

Within a day of the Nov. 1 robbery, police arrested Ishmael Norris. The 24-year-old homeless man was charged him with first-degree robbery, officials said.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

A 23-year-old man was arrested for driving drunk in Flanders Wednesday, according to a state police report.

Troopers said Christian Lynch of Southampton was pulled over for a traffic violation while headed south on County Route 105 north of Route 104 in Flanders. According to a news release, police arrested Mr. Lynch after they investigated and found he was intoxicated.

Mr. Lynch was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, issues tickets and released from custody with a future court date, police said.

A Wading River teen rushed into his burning home Tuesday afternoon to alert his mother and bring her to safety after a fire sparked in the garage.

“I just wanted to get my mom out,” said James Burkart, 19, who lives at the Stephen Drive house with his mother and two brothers.

Mr. Burkart said his mother was in the basement and he quickly helped guide her out of the house. His brothers weren’t home, one was at work and the other at school. He tried to get water on the fire, but it spread too fast, he said.

Firefighters arrived at the home to find a “large volume of fire out of the garage,” said Wading River Fire Department Chief Kevin McQueeny.

No injuries were reported in the fire, he said.

Mr. Burkart said he was standing in front of the house with friends in the driveway when he spotted the flames.

“I looked in the garage and the thing was erupting in flames,” he said.

The call came over to the Wading River Fire Department just past noon and firefighters needed more than a hour to bring the fire under control, Mr. McQueeny said.

“Lot of damage on the inside [of the house],” Mr. McQueeny said.

Mr. Burkart’s 2012 Chrysler 200 parked in the driveway was also destroyed.

“My keys were in my room so I just watched my car blow up,” he said.

Fire departments from Ridge, Manorville, Rocky Point and Riverhead assisted during the fire, Mr. McQueeny said, noting Captain Brandon Heller was in charge at the scene.

The Riverhead Town Fire Marshal is currently investigating. Mr. Burkhart said a charger plugged in to an outlet in the garage may have been the culprit.

Photo Caption: Fire crews on scene investigating the Wading River house fire Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: Chris Lisinski)

A Flanders man was arrested Thursday afternoon for allegedly breaking into an East Second Street residence and attempting to steal some items, Riverhead Town police said. 

Miguel Pacajoj-Tecum, 40, was seen by a neighbor of the residence exiting through a smashed front window carrying items from the house shortly before 1 p.m., police said. The neighbor notified police, who later spotted Mr. Pacajoj-Tecum walking through the Suffolk County National Bank headquarters parking lot.

Police said the items were removed from the residence, which they verified had been burglarized.

Mr. Pacajoj-Tecum was charged with second degree burglary. He is being held overnight at town police headquarters for a Friday morning arraignment.