Police responded to the 7-Eleven in Greenport Sunday evening after an intoxicated Greenport man became confrontational with an employee and refused to leave.

Police advised the man around 11:52 p.m. that he was no longer allowed at the location and a trespass affidavit was signed, according to police reports.

• A Southold man called police Sunday around 9:36 p.m. to report a group of youths congregating at Goose Creek Beach and possibly drinking alcohol.

An officer found one Mattituck man who said he was just hanging out. No alcohol was observed, police said.

• A Mattituck homeowner was issued a summons for cutting a tree down without a proper permit Saturday around 11:12 a.m.

• A Mattituck woman called police Saturday morning to report a vehicle driving eastbound on County Road 48 with a dog crate attached to the tow hitch.

Police located the vehicle in a field on Albertson Lane and found the crate was properly secured to the tow hitch and vehicle and the dogs appeared to be in good health.

The driver, a Bronx man, said he uses the dogs for hunting and would put the dogs inside his vehicle.

• Police responded to a field near Cutchogue East Elementary School Friday after a caller reported hunters close to the school property around 11:35 a.m.

According to a police report, an officer found the hunter, a Cutchogue man, in a tree stand facing school property. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer responded after a search of the area revealed that the hunter had baited the property with corn to attract deer.

As a result, the property has been closed to deer hunting for the remainder of the deer season, officials said.

• An East Marion woman called police to report that $3,552.64 was withdrawn from her bank account without her permission last Thursday around 1:33 p.m. An investigation is ongoing.

• A Mattituck man called police last Wednesday to report that a 12-gauge shotgun was stolen from his truck. Southold police advised the owner to file a report with the Suffolk County Police Department as well, since the incident may have occurred in either Mattituck or Sound Beach.

• Police responded to a report of a possible burglary at a New Suffolk home last Wednesday afternoon. A resident reported that $300 worth of quarters had been stolen but declined to press charges.

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 The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.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 Southold Blotter: Shotgun stolen from truck; woman reports $3,500 missing from bank account appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Three people were injured last Thursday around 5:41 p.m. when a driver failed to yield right of way to a vehicle headed east on Route 25 in Cutchogue near North Street.

A Southampton man attempting to turn left from a nearby driveway failed to yield, causing the collision, according to Southold Town police. The driver told police his view of traffic was obstructed by a vehicle parked in the shoulder.

• The manager of the Greenport IGA reported Sunday around 5:31 p.m. that a man, who police determined was homeless, was seen leaving the store with unpaid items. The manager said he saw the man leave with a six-pack of Modelo beer, valued at $13, and a six-pack of Corona beer, valued at $15. The manager told police he chased the man, who fled on foot. The manager was not interested in pressing charges, but wanted the items returned. Police located the man and had him return the items. He was advised that he is no longer welcome in the store.

• A Greenport woman told police last Tuesday around 12:10 p.m. that an unknown individual pulled three Douglas Elliman real estate signs out of the ground near Marratooka Road and New Suffolk Avenue in Mattituck. The signs were not damaged, according to police, but the woman did request extra patrols in the area.

• A Cutchogue woman reported to police last Tuesday around 11:39 a.m. that a New Suffolk man who had been evicted from a Jackson Street residence by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and was not allowed on the property, had been peeking through windows at the residence 30 minutes earlier. The man was last seen on foot with another male, a backpack and papers in hand, headed toward Mattituck via New Suffolk Avenue. Officers canvassed the area with negative results and the man left the area prior to police arrival, but police advised the woman to call back if she saw him in the area again.

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

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Southold Town police officers, with assistance from Suffolk County Police Aviation, flooded the Orient Point area Tuesday morning searching for a vehicle that contained a woman possibly trying to harm herself with her three children in the car.

But the woman and her children were never in harm’s way. A fictitious report led police on the frantic search for a gray sedan.

Police received a call from a woman in Florida who alerted police that an acquaintance may try to harm herself, according to police. The caller said she was communicating with her friend via Facebook Messenger. Police began searching for the car anywhere near a dock in the Orient Point area as well as beaches.

Police contacted the school district that the children attend and the school officials were able to confirm the children were accounted for. Police did not disclose the school district.

A Suffolk County police patrol car went to the woman’s residence and was able to confirm that she was safe.

A Suffolk police helicopter arrived in the area to assist the search at around noon, right about as police determined the report was fictitious.

Police determined the woman’s Facebook page had likely been hacked and the messages sent to the Florida woman were not authentic. Detectives are investigating the source of the Facebook messages.

To protect accounts, Facebook recommends several security options, such as two-factor authentication, which is an added security feature on top of a password. Learn more here.

Facebook lists other recommendations to secure accounts here.

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A Greenport woman reported a scam to Southold police Sunday evening.

She was contacted by email by what she thought was her employer and asked to purchase two $1,000 gift cards from Walmart and send over the PIN numbers for each card. She complied and later confirmed with her employer that the request was not authentic, reports said.

• Police responded to Route 25 near Bray Avenue in Mattituck Saturday around noon after the driver of a 2016 Jeep reported that a pedestrian walked into the driver’s side mirror, causing the glass to fall out. The pedestrian did not speak English, she said, and left the scene prior to police arrival.

• A Mattituck man called police Saturday afternoon to report that he saw smoke emanating from a PSEG pole near his Grand Avenue home.

Police found a small fire on a tree that was making contact with a power wire and PSEG officials responded to the scene.

• A kayak valued at $500 was reported stolen from a Sterling Street driveway in Greenport Saturday around 9:42 a.m.

• An anonymous caller reported to police Friday that an unknown person in a white box truck was taking pictures of the playground at Veterans Memorial Park in Mattituck around 1:40 p.m. Police responded and were unable to locate the vehicle.

• Police stopped a Riverhead woman on Route 48 in Cutchogue last Thursday evening after she drove over the solid yellow line twice.

Police did not observe any signs of intoxication; the woman told police she had been sneezing while driving.

• An East Quogue man was issued two traffic tickets last Wednesday morning after he was stopped on Route 48 near Mary’s Road and found to be driving with a suspended license. He was issued two tickets and had a licensed driver pick him up from the scene, police said.

• A Mattituck woman reported that an unauthorized withdrawal was made from her Capital One checking account last Wednesday.

• Police transported a Southampton man from Eastern Long Island Hospital to the First Street bus stop in Greenport last Wednesday afternoon after an anonymous person called to report that he was asking for rides. The man told police he was just released from the hospital detox center and was trying to get home.

• Southold Fire Department responded to a report of a chimney fire at a Highwood Road residence last Wednesday around 4 p.m.

Upon arrival, the fire had been extinguished but responders secured the scene, officials said.

• Police responded to a report of a damaged mailbox at a home on Tuthill Road in Southold last Tuesday morning.

A resident told police he heard a loud noise outside around 10 p.m. Monday night and found the mailbox damaged the next morning. Police reported that an unknown driver drove over the mailbox and left the scene.

• Two drivers were taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital following a crash at the intersection of County Road 48 and Youngs Avenue in Southold last Tuesday morning.

According to an accident report, a 2012 Ford pickup was traveling southbound on Youngs Avenue when it struck a 2017 Nissan sedan making a left turn onto Route 48 around 11:44 a.m.

The extent of their injuries was not specified.

• Police responded to a three-car crash at the intersection of Love Lane and Route 48 in Mattituck last Tuesday afternoon.

Officials said a 2018 Jeep was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Route 48 and failed to yield to a 2017 Volkswagen traveling east on Route 48. The driver of a third vehicle, a 2016 Toyota, swerved off the roadway into a median to avoid a collision and was also struck by the Jeep.

The crash occurred around 1:22 p.m., reports 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.

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Sheryl Ann Davis, 51, of Greenport was arrested last Wednesday around 3:42 p.m. near Route 25 in Mattituck and charged with petit larceny and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, according to Southold Town police. 

Police identified Ms. Davis as the female reported to have taken merchandise from CVS in Mattituck, including 10 packs of Tide pods worth $155.80 and four packs of Mr. Clean products worth $25.96. Police then found Ms. Davis at a bus stop near the Mattituck shopping plaza, where they said she admitted to stealing the items. She was in possession of store property and, further investigation revealed, was also in possession of merchandise stolen from Walgreens, including four bottles of Clorox cleaning spray, valued at $19.96; a bottle of Mr. Clean spray, valued at $5.99; four packs of Tide pods, valued at $25.16; and two packs of thermal underwear, valued at $30.

• A Mattituck man reported last Tuesday around 10:41 a.m. that over $540 worth of items were stolen from an address on Main Road in Southold. The items included two green Hitachi cordless drills, valued at $200; 12 miscellaneous silver tools, valued at $200; a green Hitachi green battery charger, valued at $50; a black Hitachi drill battery, valued at $50; a black tire pressure gauge, valued at $30; and a white five-gallon bucket, valued at $10.

• A Southold man reported to police on Friday around 6:10 p.m. that he had found a Samsung TV and an oil pan on his farm property and believed the items to be stolen property. He also reported that over the past year he has found two Napa truck batteries, valued at $300, a $50 brass cap and a $20 drill. Police took possession of the TV and oil pan and the man was advised that extra patrols of the farm would be conducted.

• A Greenport man reported Sunday around 10 a.m. that a $500 ride-on lawn mower had been stolen from the backyard of his Wiggins Street home between 2 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. The man said the lawn mower was covered with a tarp and parked in the backyard in front of his shed. Tire marks were visible on the grass, police said, suggesting that someone may have dragged the mower out of the yard. Police were not able to obtain footage of the incident and a check of the neighborhood yielded negative results, but an investigation is underway.

• An investigation is underway after an Orient man notified police of a possible fraud last Thursday around 6:18 p.m. The man told police he was issued an $8,000 check, which was supposed to pay for a piece of artwork he was selling and cover the cost of shipping. The Orient man said the bank assured him the check was valid, so he deposited it and used his own funds to finance the shipment of his artwork, only to find when wiring money that the check had in fact bounced. 

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

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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.

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A Douglaston woman told police around 11:44 a.m. Monday that $2,200 in cash had been stolen from her mother’s Mattituck home. The woman gave police the name of a possible suspect, who works as her mother’s aide. An investigation is underway.

• Two men reported to police around 3:30 p.m. Friday that money had been stolen from the group they work for, Long Island Mineral and Geology Society. The men said that in December, they enrolled a Laurel woman as their new secretary, adding that between that time and Feb. 1, the woman had been writing herself checks and using group funds for private purchases. In total, the men said, she removed $2,291.08. When confronted, the woman allegedly admitted to the theft and agreed to pay the men back. 

As of Feb. 7, she had returned $2,200, but the men wanted the remaining balance of $91.08 documented.

• A Mattituck man called police last Wednesday around 1:24 p.m. to report his gray $300 Pep Boys 50cc pocket dirt bike missing from its spot at the Mattituck Plaza.

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

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County Route 48 was closed Sunday morning between Moores Lane and Chapel Lane as PSEG crews responded to fix a pole that fell across the road following a single-vehicle accident, according to Southold Town police.

The vehicle struck a PSEG pole in an early morning accident. A police press release did not specify the extent of any injuries.

Drivers are advised to use Route 25 when traveling east toward Greenport.

Police said additional details about the incident are expected.

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Southold Town Police were dispatched to Southold High School Thursday morning after a student was approached by a middle-aged man on her way to school, district officials said. 

At approximately 7:40 a.m., a female high school student was approached by the driver of a silver or light-gray mini-van on Traveler Street near the Southold Free Library.

The man offered the student a ride to school. The student refused, proceeded to school and immediately reported the incident to Southold Junior/Senior High School principal Terence Rusch.

“The student is absolutely safe,” Mr. Rusch said.

Mr. Rusch immediately notified Southold Town Police and Southold Elementary School officials after hearing of the incident.

A robocall was sent out to parents in the district, as well as in Greenport, around 8 a.m. Thursday morning, he said. Around that time, police arrived at the school and interviewed the student. 

“The Southold Town Police were extremely prompt in getting to the school right away,” Mr. Rusch said. “Not only was an officer dispatched here, but our [school resource officer] came. They were also relaying information right to police headquarters as they were receiving it from the student. It was very timely and they handled it extremely well.”

Southold police Chief Martin Flatley said in an email Thursday afternoon that police are working on identifying the vehicle and operator.

Superintendent David Gamberg said in an email that the district “acted immediately to insure the safety of all students.” He added that a letter about the incident is being mailed to families and will be available on the district website. 

Mr. Rusch said high school students were made aware of the incident and were reminded to follow safety precautions prior to their lunch periods. Middle school teachers will be reviewing the incident with seventh and eighth grader students during advisory before heading home Thursday, he said.

In late November, the district notified parents of an incident where a Southold Elementary student was approached at a bus stop and offered a ride to school. The girl refused the driver left in that incident.

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A Mattituck woman reported to police last Wednesday that she was the victim of an electronic theft after unknowingly granting someone access to her computer. 

The woman said she received a called from the number 424-204-4290, which she believed to be Apple Care. She told police she had been having trouble with her Apple phone account and, as a result, verbally granted the individual on the other end of the line access to her computer, only to find $703 missing from her account.

A detective was notified of the incident.

• A Southold man told police last Wednesday that an unknown individual stole at least two cases of Budweiser beer, valued at $48, from the Triangle Yacht Club in Greenport. The man said he witnessed the individual enter the premises, saw through the bar that locks the walk-in refrigerator containing alcoholic beverages and removed them. A detective was notified of the incident. 

• A Southold man notified police last Wednesday that at least $1,185 worth of guns, chain saws and copper wire had been taken from his barn and the surrounding area. The man reported five to eight long guns stolen from inside his barn — a Mossberg shotgun valued at $300; three other shotguns, valued at $700; and a 22 Magnum Rimfire rifle valued at $100 — along with $75 worth of copper wire and a $10 chain saw. A detective was notified of the incident.

• At least one individual was injured in a vehicle vs. pole collision Friday around 7:36 p.m. A Greenport woman was operating her vehicle at an unsafe speed along Route 25 near Moore’s Lane, according to police, causing her to leave the roadway and collide with two separate Greenport Village utility poles before coming to rest off the roadway.

• A Greenport man reported to police Friday around 9:08 p.m. that an unknown subject removed a $120 black bicycle and two car radiators, valued at $40, from his backyard. 

• A Greenport man contacted police Sunday around 3:06 p.m. to report a larceny at China Kitchen in Greenport. The man told police that a grease trap, valued at $500, had been stolen from the back lot of his restaurant between 2 and 2:30 p.m. Police had the man complete a larceny affidavit.

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 Southold Blotter: Woman reports being victim of electronic scam appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Jesus Mendoza, 21, of Greenport was arrested last Monday around 3:04 p.m. for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

An employee at Mr. Roberts Convenience Store in Greenport called Southold police to report a younger male subject wearing a black sweatshirt, identified as Mr. Mendoza, causing a disturbance at the store. The employee said Mr. Mendoza grew irate when he was refused the sale of an electronic cigarette. Police located Mr. Mendoza outside the store in an intoxicated state and said he acted belligerently, using abusive and obscene language in public. The store employee had previously signed a trespass affidavit against the man, police said.

Mr. Mendoza was involved in another incident last Saturday around 6:01 p.m., when an employee at Greenport Laundry Services called police to report that he was highly intoxicated and refused to leave the location. He was not doing laundry while there, she told police. Mr. Mendoza agreed to leave when directed by authorities. The woman said she did not wish to sign a trespass affidavit at the time, but did not want Mr. Mendoza returning for the evening.

• An investigation is underway after a Greenport man told police last Tuesday around 2:23 a.m. that he had lost his balance, fallen and broken a window, valued at $200, at the ferry terminal.

• An investigation is underway and a detective was notified after a Southold woman reported last Tuesday around 4:49 p.m. that her father, a Cutchogue man, had fallen victim to a scam. The woman said her father received a letter from the “American Senior Citizen Sweepstakes Company” stating he was the winner of the sweepstakes he had entered. The letter went on to say the man would receive a cash prize and a new vehicle, so long as he sent over a $1,500 check to cover shipping costs. The woman said her father sent a check to an address in Vancouver, Wash. Police advised the woman to ensure that her father does not send any more money, and that he contact his bank to initiate fraud paperwork.

• A Greenport woman reported to police last Tuesday around 5:21 p.m. that a man wearing tan pants and a black jacket with white writing on it damaged a cigarette receptacle at the Greenport American Legion on Third Street. The woman said the man picked up the receptacle, valued at $100, and beat it against the wall to open it. The man had been observed doing so in the past as well, according to the police report. The woman placed a small lock on the receptacle, but reported the lock as now damaged and difficult to open. She requested more patrols on overnight shifts.

• A Greenport man told police last Wednesday around 1:49 p.m. that he exited the rear of Alice’s Fish Market in Greenport, where he works, and saw that the rear door was damaged, having been pried open by an unknown individual. Further investigation revealed that 80 pounds of sea scallops, valued at $111.60, had been stolen. A detective was notified of the incident.

• A Southold man told police Friday around 8:47 a.m. that his tool trailer, parked at a property on Bay Avenue in Greenport, had been broken into the previous night and a $100 yellow Dewalt drill and $10 padlock had been removed. The man said he had left the property around 4 p.m. last Thursday and returned around 7 a.m. Friday. He said he was attempting to unlock his trailer when he noticed the lock had been damaged, prompting him to inventory what remained within.

• A Southold man reported to police Friday around 4:31 p.m. that an unknown individual gained access to his bank account via the bank’s website and initiated a $10,000 withdrawal. The man said he had notified his bank and informed them that the pending withdrawal was fraudulent. A detective was notified and an investigation is underway. 

• Southold police along with members of the Greenport Fire Department responded to a report of a bulkhead on fire at 123 Sterling Ave. in Greenport Saturday around 12:12 p.m. An investigation revealed that Crowley Marine had been doing work on the bulkhead, burning off metal bolts. This, police and firefighters determined, caused the wood to smolder. Firefighters soaked the bulkhead to stop the smoldering and a representative from Crowley Marine said the entire bulkhead was going to be replaced.

• A Shoreham man contacted police Saturday around 4:24 p.m. to report that someone had taken his sister’s wallet while the two were at Mitchell Park in Greenport. When police arrived, they interviewed the Jamesport woman, who said she had left her black wallet, valued at $25, and her Toyota car keys on a bench inside the changing shed adjacent to the ice skating rink. She said the items had been left unattended for 40 minutes to an hour, and identified a Brookhaven woman as the suspected thief. Police were unable to locate the items, but issued the woman a replacement form for her driver’s license and advised her to contact her bank and cancel her debit card.

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 Southold Blotter: Greenport man charged with criminal trespass appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Johnny Tardif has always loved parades. It doesn’t matter what the celebration.

So the Cutchogue resident, who was born with cerebral palsy, was understandably disappointed when the Cutchogue St. Patrick’s Day parade originally scheduled for Saturday was canceled. The coronavirus pandemic has forced some of the world’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades to be canceled, including parades in New York City and Dublin.

Shelly Tardif, Johnny’s mother, was inquiring on Facebook recently about the status of the Cutchogue parade when she was informed it had indeed been canceled.

Johnny had been looking forward to the parade for a month, she said in a Facebook post. Johnny is also a huge sports fan and would always be there to watch his twin brother, Joe, play at Mattituck. Joe is now a senior at SUNY/Cortland.

Molly Waitz, one of the founders of Kait’s Angels, stepped in to help after hearing from Ms. Tardif about Johnny’s disappointment.

Ms. Waitz reached out to Andrew Garcia of the Southold Town Police Department, who helped organize a small, private parade with bagpipers outside the Tardif’s Cutchogue home Saturday afternoon.

Ms. Tardif said she found out Friday from Mr. Garcia, who wanted to make sure they could surprise Johnny. Ms. Tardif kept it a secret from him.

She also invited Thomas Jernick to join Johnny so they could celebrate together. Thomas’ father, Richard, recently retired from the Southold Police Department. They live in Laurel.

Johnny was decked out in green for the celebration.

“I think what they did was one of the kindest acts of love,” Ms. Tardif told The Suffolk Times.

The parade featured a small group of police officers and the Eastern Long Island Police Pipes and Drums.

Ms. Tardif said the when the boys realized what was happening, “their faces were priceless.”

The post Mini St. Patrick’s Day parade spreads joy in Cutchogue appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A Greenport woman called police Sunday afternoon to report that a golf cart was parked in her driveway on Sound Drive.

Police located the owner, a Manhasset man, who stated he drove his golf cart to the dead end and parked in the dead end — not in the woman’s driveway — to walk down to the beach with his family.

Police advised the man that it’s illegal to drive a golf cart on a public road without license plates and proper registration. 

• A Peconic man reported to police Sunday that his sister’s boyfriend punched and choked him at a Horton Avenue residence during an argument.

No charges were filed in connection with the incident.

• Police responded to a property along Route 48 in Southold Saturday after a man called to complain about noise from dirt bikes riding nearby.

The two men on dirt bikes said they have permission to ride on the property and were advised to stay on the north side of the property to keep the noise down, a report said.

• A woman reported that $500 cash was stolen from her wallet after she left it at the Mattituck McDonald’s Saturday around 12:36 p.m.

• Firefighters from the Greenport Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire at Mr. Roberts convenience store Friday around 4:45 p.m.

An employee at the store was able to extinguish the engine fire and the 2002 Chevy Impala was towed, police said.

• A Southold man reported that an unknown woman, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and walking a small brown dog, was looking into vehicles parked at the Sea Tow facility on Hummel Avenue Friday around 9:38 a.m.

• Police were called to Town Hall last Thursday evening after an employee reported finding a 9mm bullet in a bathroom. The bullet was deemed incapable of being fired and was disposed of properly, police said.

• A fan was reported stolen from a walk-in freezer unit at the Lin Beach House in Greenport last Wednesday around noon.

• A Wading River man called police last Wednesday to report that an envelope containing 12 to 14 checks was stolen from his vehicle while he was at yoga in Southold last Wednesday around 9:47 a.m.

• A Middleton Road resident called police last Tuesday to report that the driver’s side window of a Ford Econoline in his driveway had been shattered. Nothing was reported missing from the vehicle.

• An East Marion woman was stopped for erratic driving on Route 48 last Monday around 10:48 p.m.

According to a police report, she didn’t show any signs of impairment and told an officer that she was out for a drive because she couldn’t sleep.

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

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A Greenport woman was found asleep at the wheel after driving onto the lawn at a Bay Avenue home and reportedly striking the house Sunday afternoon, according to Southold Town police.

Police received a 911 call of an erratic driver heading south on Main Street. The 2019 Honda sedan crossed over the double yellow line multiple times, forcing other vehicles off the roadway, police said.

The vehicle turned onto Bay Avenue and then turned into a driveway, where it proceeded over the lawn, police said.

Police allegedly found Ryane Hoeffling, 37, asleep at the wheel and she was later found to be intoxicated.

She was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and held for arraignment, police said.

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A Riverhead Town police officer is in serious condition at Stony Brook University Hospital following a collision on Osborn Avenue and Youngs Avenue Tuesday afternoon, according to police Chief David Hegermiller.

The officer, who is not being publicly identified yet, was involved in a crash at about 4:30 p.m. while responding to an ongoing police pursuit that involved other officers, according to Chief Hegermiller.

The injured officer 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 chief said.

In a media release, police said the the marked police car attempted to pass a second vehicle that that been traveling northbound on Osborn and collided when the vehicle attempted to turn left onto Youngs Avenue.

The pursuit began in Greenport when Southold Town police were notified of an incident where a person was threatened with a knife and had their car stolen, Stringer News reported. Southold police spotted the stolen vehicle and were led on a pursuit, which they ended when reaching Riverhead Town on Sound Avenue. Chief Hegermiller said he believes New York State Police then picked up the pursuit in Riverhead. 

The vehicle being pursued did not turn down Osborn but instead went south on Doctors Path, the chief said. The vehicle went south on Northville Turnpike and then south onto Roanoke Avenue.

The driver fled on foot in the vicinity of the First Street parking lot in Riverhead.

“The driver, as far as I know, has not been apprehended as of yet,” Chief Hegermiller said Tuesday night.

The injured officer was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center and stabilized, and was then airlifted to Stony Brook, the chief said. Police said in a media release late Tuesday the officer was in stable but serious condition.

His injuries were to the upper torso and neck area and he was in the operating room Tuesday night, the chief said.

The driver of other vehicle involved in the crash was not injured during the initial collision, police said.

Riverhead detectives and Suffolk County Police detectives and their crime scene unit assisted in the investigation.

The Southampton Town Police Department posted a message on Instagram Tuesday night, saying, “Our prayers are with our brother, wishing a speedy recovery.”

The post Riverhead officer seriously injured after crash while responding to police pursuit that began in Greenport appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Southold Town police are investigating a report of a Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital courier allegedly attempting to steal items from the hospital last week.

The attempted larceny was reported by a Greenport Village man. A police report did not specify what items the person attempted to take. No arrest was reported and an investigation is ongoing.

• A 33-year-old man was arrested last Monday after a Southold woman reported he showed up at her house highly intoxicated and used a wooden post to break the glass on the back door to gain entry. Julio Garcia is facing criminal mischief charges stemming from the incident, police said.

• Detectives were notified after an unknown person attempted to pry open the door to a walk-in cooler at an office building on Atlantic Avenue overnight Saturday.

• A Southold man called police Saturday after he noticed a vehicle circling his Summer Lane neighborhood numerous times.

Police responded and could not locate the vehicle in question.

• A town Department of Public Works employee reported Friday that someone had damaged roof shingles at the bathroom of Goose Creek Beach in Southold.

The man suspects the damage was done overnight by local teenagers.

• Police responded to a report of a woman drinking alcohol in her vehicle at the 7-Eleven in Greenport last Wednesday night. According to a report, an officer interviewed a 54-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman in the vehicle in question, who told police they were drinking a can of soda they purchased.

The man told police that he is dating the woman, who is an ex-girlfriend of an employee at the store, who refused to answer further questions by police.

• A Southold woman reported Sunday that two tires on her vehicle were slashed in her driveway overnight.

• Detectives are investigating a report of fraudulent debit card use reported by a Quogue man Saturday morning. The man told police he lost his debit card in Southold on Friday and noticed there were two fraudulent transactions totaling $1,855 from “Handyman.”

• A 43-year-old Orient man called police Sunday evening to report that an unknown silver SUV was towing juveniles on skateboards near Captain Kidd Drive in Mattituck around 6:30 p.m. Police responded and were unable to locate the vehicle, reports said.

• A Peconic man called police last Thursday to report that an unknown person damaged fences and set up a tree stand on property he owns in Orient.

The man asked for extra patrols in the area, police said.

• A vehicle driving east on Route 25 in Southold collided with a tree and brush row, causing damage, last Wednesday around 6:45 a.m. The driver, a Riverhead man, was not injured in the crash, police said.

• One person was injured in a two-car collision at Wickham Avenue and Pike Street last Wednesday around 5 p.m., according to reports.

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 Southold Blotter: Police investigating report of stolen items at hospital appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Update (11:20 p.m.): Southold Town police have released additional details on the incident that led to Thursday’s arrest of Alfred Cowell.

Southold police said Mr. Cowell allegedly removed keys from a Brown Street residence in Greenport Tuesday in order to take a vehicle without permission. The resident notified police and Mr. Cowell was spotted by an off-duty Southold police officer who radioed the location of the vehicle.

The 2020 Nissan Rogue was then spotted by a patrol officer who attempted to pull the vehicle over. Mr. Cowell refused to stop and continued west on Route 48 in Southold.

As other units arrived, Mr. Cowell reached speeds of 100 mph and at one point crossed over the eastbound lane of Route 48 while traveling west, police said. The vehicle nearly missed colliding with several other vehicles before the pursuit was terminated by a police sergeant.

Mr. Cowell continued into the jurisdiction of the Riverhead Town Police Department where units from the New York State Police began to pursue him.

Southold police have charged Mr. Cowell with burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a number of traffic violations.

He was held for arraignment due to the felony burglary charge and the victim requested an order of protection, according to police.

Police listed Mr. Cowell as from Middle Island. In prior arrests he had been listed from Riverhead.

Original Story: A man with a history of fleeing police is now in custody in connection with Tuesday afternoon’s chase that left a Riverhead Town police officer seriously injured in an accident as he was responding to the pursuit.

Alfred Cowell, 40, was arrested Thursday by Suffolk County Sheriff’s in Mastic Beach after deputies on a separate narcotics investigation spotted him coming out of a home, according to Chief Michael Sharkey.

The deputies noticed he matched the description of the suspect from Tuesday’s incident and they followed him in his vehicle, a Kia Telluride, down to the parking lot at Smith Point County Park.

Additional police units responded to the scene and blocked off the bridge to prevent any further traffic from coming in or out, Chief Sharkey said.

Mr. Cowell was arrested without incident, as well as a woman who was also in the vehicle on an unrelated charge, he added.

“We took him into custody and are turning him over to Southold Police Department,” Chief Sharkey said.

His initial charges will stem from Southold police. Additional charges could still be filed by Riverhead Town and New York State police, Chief Sharkey said.

The deputies first observed Mr. Cowell around 2 p.m.

Mr. Cowell was arrested in December by Suffolk County police and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of motor vehicle, according to online court records. At a Feb. 20 arraignment he was released on his own recognizance and was due back in court May 5.

Mr. Cowell crashed into the Greenview Inn on West Main Street in 2015 after fleeing from officers who attempted to stop him for driving erratically in Polish Town, according to prior reports. He fled on foot and was apprehended by police shortly after in that incident, officials said at the time.

In May 2014, he was arrested on drug charges and traffic violations after fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle accident in Riverhead, according to prior reports.

Riverhead Town police officer Robert Sproston is currently in the intensive care unit at Stony Brook University Hospital after his police cruiser collided with another car near the intersection of Youngs Avenue, causing the police car to go off the road and into a fence, the chief said. He suffered injuries to the upper torso and neck area and underwent surgery Tuesday night, police said.

The pursuit began in Greenport when Southold Town police were notified of an incident where a person’s car was stolen. Southold police spotted the stolen vehicle and were led on a pursuit, which they ended when reaching Riverhead Town on Sound Avenue. Riverhead Chief David Hegermiller said he believes New York State Police then picked up the pursuit in Riverhead.

Mr. Sproston is also a volunteer firefighter with the Riverhead Fire Department along with his father Bill.

Crowdfunding efforts began Wednesday for Mr. Sproston.

—WITH TIM GANNON

The post Update: Man charged with burglary, unlawfully fleeing police and more after incident that injured Riverhead officer appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A 24-year-old Peconic man was arrested for DWI in Cutchogue Saturday evening.

Police said Cleiber Azurdia was stopped for a traffic infraction while heading east on County Road 48 in Cutchogue when he was found to be intoxicated.

• Police are investigating after a truck driver abandoned his vehicle after crashing it into a guard rail on Laurel Lane Sunday. The incident was reported around 9 a.m. and the truck was towed from the scene, police said.

• Police were called after neighbors got into a dispute on Ninth Street in Greenport last Thursday morning.

According to a police report, a woman allegedly started yelling at a man because he was cutting the grass too short near a sidewalk. They were told not to talk to each other, police said.

• An anonymous person called police last Thursday around 1 p.m. to report an open burn on Calves Neck Road in Southold.

Police responded and a 40-year-old man told police he was cleaning his yard and didn’t know it was a town code violation to burn leaves and brush.

The man told police he’d extinguish the fire and no further action was taken, police said.

• A Southold man reported several items missing from a trailer on South Drive in Mattituck last Thursday morning.

Police believe an unknown suspect used a bolt cutter to gain access and discovered the master lock nearby, reports said. An 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.

The post Southold Blotter: Peconic man charged with DWI appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Robert Sproston, the Riverhead Town police officer who was seriously injured while responding to a police pursuit March 31, remains in the intensive care unit at Stony Brook University Hospital, according to friends and family, who have organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to offset his medical costs. 

By Wednesday morning, the effort has raised more than $50,000. More than 745 individual donations have been made, according to the site.

“He’s making progress,” Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said Tuesday. “Every day is a little better news, but he’s got a long way to go.”

Mr. Sproston, 28, served in the Marines before joining the Riverhead Police Department in 2017, and has also volunteered in the Rocky Point Fire Department and most recently the Riverhead Fire Department.

His father Bill, who’s a lieutenant in the Riverhead Fire Department, posted an update Tuesday saying his son opened his eyes and is resting.

“I’m sure that took a lot out of him with all the moving he’s been doing the last two days,” he wrote. “Thank you for all your unconditional love and support.”

In an update posted Monday, Bill wrote that “everything is going as well as expected with Rob as positive progress. He’s totally moving around more.”

On Monday, the hospital staff performed another CT scan, which came back the same, meaning good news, Bill wrote. His family was anxiously awaiting the moment he would open his eyes, which finally came Tuesday.

Last Thursday, the suspect who led police on the initial pursuit that began in Greenport was arrested. Alfred Cowell, 40, of Middle Island, who has a history of fleeing police and has previously been listed with a Riverhead address, was charged with burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a number of traffic violations by Southold Town police.

The post Riverhead officer injured in crash ‘making progress’ in recovery while in ICU appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The three kittens Heather Cusack adopted in September from the Southold Animal Shelter had been found in the backyard of a Riverhead home. They were very young, tiny and without their mother.

The male, whom she named Prince, was the more adventurous one among the siblings, females named Fiona and Cake.

Prince was gray and wise, Ms. Cusack said. And affectionate, patient and sweet. The siblings would curl up together in a wicker basket to sleep.

At her Cutchogue home on Alvah’s Lane, Ms. Cusack would let the kittens outside at times during the day where they could enjoy the sprawling yard, though they mostly lived indoors.

Prince in particular loved the outdoors.

One night last month, Ms. Cusack was calling for Prince to come in as night approached. She got no response.

She grabbed a flashlight and walked out into the yard when she heard a cat meowing. She spotted a big, hefty cat that she hadn’t noticed before. Prince was following right behind the other cat.

She could tell something was wrong with Prince. He seemed to be pulling himself along, unable to use his back legs properly and was bleeding. 

Ms. Cusack’s first assumption was that Prince had gotten into a fight with the other cat. She scooped him up and brought him inside. Her veterinarian advised her to take Prince directly to an emergency vet in Riverhead, East End Veterinary Center.

The coronavirus outbreak forced procedures to be altered at the emergency vet. So Ms. Cusack waited in her car to receive paperwork to fill out and then handed over Prince to be taken inside for an examination. The vet cleaned Prince’s wound and gave him medication for pain and Ms. Cusack opted to bring her to Mattituck-Laurel Veterinary Hospital the next morning for further examination.

An X-ray revealed a startling revelation. It appeared Prince had a BB in his spine.

“They had like five people looking at it, they couldn’t believe what they saw,” she said.

A vet soon clarified that it was a pellet from a pellet gun, which can do more damage compared to a BB.

The pellet’s position at Prince’s spine meant operating to remove it would likely result in the cat being permanently unable to walk.

They decided to euthanize Prince, who was about 8 months old.

Now three weeks later, Ms. Cusack has been left still searching for answers for how her kitten could have been shot so close to her property. The North Fork Animal Welfare League is offering a $250 reward for any information and the Suffolk County SPCA is investigating. She also filed a report with Southold Town police at her brother’s insistence. A friend helped her create a flyer that was posted around town.  

She doesn’t wish to pursue criminal charges, she said, although perhaps the person responsible could help with the vet bills, she said.

Mostly, she’s seeking answers. She said she likes to believe the best in people and that perhaps the shooting was not intentional.

“Maybe somebody was just trying to scare him away or could he have been going in somebody’s garbage or maybe they thought it was a raccoon,” she said. “What do people do with pellet guns? Are they shooting rabbits, squirrels, birds? I don’t know.”

Ms. Cusack said after she posted what happened on Facebook, the NFAWL reached out and said they wanted to offer a reward.

“Their biggest thing is animal abuse,” she said.

So far, the reward has not brought in any new information, she said. But she also heard from the Bob Platin of the Suffolk SPCA who sought information on the case.

Ms. Cusack said she knows there “are way more important things going on right now than my cat,” but she hopes to raise awareness for animal cruelty. 

Her two remaining cats stay mostly indoors now as she awaits any answers.

Prince, meanwhile, was buried in the backyard under an apple tree he loved to climb.

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