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Men allegedly have children help steal items from Port Jefferson Station store

by Kyle Barr - June 27, 2019

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Crime-Scene-cop-car-police-w — File photo

Two men who used a child to help them steal a saw from a Port Jefferson Station store are currently being sought by Suffolk County Police.

Security footage of men entering with child. Photo from SCPD

Two men, accompanied by two children, entered MVP Power Outdoor Equipment, located at 86 Comsewogue Road, May 8 at around 10:30 a.m. Police said one of the men instructed one of the children to remove a Stihl concrete saw from the shelf and the four then walked out of the store. The stolen saw has a value of approximately $1,050.

The men are wanted for grand larceny and endangering the welfare of a child.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 800-220-TIPS (8477) or texting “SCPD” and your message to “CRIMES” (274637). All calls and text messages will be kept confidential.

*Update: Port Jefferson girl reported missing found

by Kyle Barr - June 25, 2019

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*Update: Victoria Masone, who was reported missing June 23, has been located unharmed, police said.

Original story:

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to locate a 12-year-old Port Jefferson girl who was reported missing.

Victoria Masone left her home, located at 102 Oakes Street, after getting into a fight with her parents on June 23. Masone, who has run away in the past, could possibly be headed to stay with family in Brooklyn.

Masone is approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, 95 pounds with an olive complexion. She was wearing jeans, black sneakers and a red, white and blue windbreaker at the time she left her home. She was carrying a black and white checkered backpack.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on Masone’s location to call 911 or the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652.

Sound Beach woman killed after alleged hit and run in Miller Place

by Kyle Barr - June 25, 2019

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Suffolk County Police arrested a Ridge man for allegedly leaving the scene following a motor vehicle crash that killed a woman in Miller Place June 24.

Mary Ginty, 31, of 22 Riverhead Road, Sound Beach was walking northbound on Miller Place Road when she was struck by a northbound 2017 Hyundai Elantra at around 9:58 p.m. The driver fled the scene in the Hyundai. Ginty was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson where she was pronounced dead.

Following an investigation by Major Case Unit detectives, John Lang was arrested at his parents’ residence in Ridge at around 1:55 a.m. Lang, 30, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He was held overnight at the 7th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip June 25.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls are kept confidential.

Police seek man who allegedly stole from Selden Target two times

by Rita J. Egan - June 20, 2019

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and 6th Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a Selden store on two dates in June.

A man allegedly stole a power bank battery charger from Target, located at 307 Independence Plaza, on June 11 at approximately 9 p.m. The same man returned to the store at approximately 8:15 a.m. on June 16 and allegedly stole a second power bank.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, texting “SCPD” and your message to “CRIMES” (274637) or by email at www.tipsubmit.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

Update Shoreham teen hurt in car crash passes away June 14

by Kyle Barr - June 14, 2019

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A post on a Gofundme page set up by Joseph Dwyer has confirmed Melissa Marchese, 18, of Shoreham died due to her injuries June 14.

“With a heavy heart, deep sorrow and tremendous regret, I write to inform you that Melissa Marchese has gone to be with the Lord,” Dwyer wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Melissa and the Marchese family. Thank you all for your generous donations during this time of unthinkable sadness and utter despair. God Bless.”

The Gofundme page raised nearly $20,000 from 294 people in six hours.

*Original story

A Shoreham teen was seriously injured in a crash at the corner of Route 25A and Miller Avenue the evening of June 13.

Suffolk County Police said Evan Flannery, of Shoreham, was driving a 2007 Hyundai Elantra southbound on Miller Avenue and was turning left into Route 25A when his car was struck by a 2006 Honda Accord, being driven westbound on Route 25A by Michael Troiano, of Ridge, at approximately 6:50 p.m.

A passenger in the Hyundai, Melissa Marchese, 18, of Shoreham, was airlifted via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries. Flannery, 17, and another passenger in the Hyundai, Caroline Tyburski, 18, of Shoreham, were transported to St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson with non-life-threatening injuries. Troiano, 34, was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead with non-life-threatening injuries.

Marchese has been known as a standout softball player in SWR, having been recognized as All-League in the Scholar-Athlete Team in March and is committed to the University of Hartford for softball.

The Shoreham-Wading River Central School District said they have canceled all high school final exams for June 14 and released the following statement:

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the impacted students and their families. The district’s mental health team will be available in the high school library for student support today.”

A Gofundme for Marchese and her family can be found here.

The vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Anyone with information about this crash is asked by police to call the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.

SWR high school senior seriously injured in car crash in Shoreham

by Kyle Barr - June 14, 2019

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20190613_201635 — A crash in Shoreham left several injured. Photo from Kevin Wood

A Shoreham teen was seriously injured in a crash at the corner of Route 25A and Miller Avenue the evening of June 13.

Shoreham-Wading River senior Melissa Marchese During an April 22 Softball game. Photo by Bill Landon

Marchese has been known as a standout softball player in SWR, having been recognized as All-League in the Scholar-Athlete Team in March and is committed to the University of Hartford for softball.

The Shoreham-Wading River Central School District said they have cancelled all high school final exams for June 14 and released the following statement:

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the impacted students and their families. The district’s mental health team will be available in the high school library for student support today.”

A Gofundme for Marchese and her family can be found here.

The vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Anyone with information about this crash were asked by police to call the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.

This post has been updated with a statement from the SWR school district.

Longtime constable in PJ village retires to fanfare and salutes

by Kyle Barr - June 13, 2019

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Lawrence Santangelo, right wipes a tear from his eye as his fellow constables bid farewell. Photo by Kyle Barr

Lawrence Santangelo, 65, has been with the Port Jefferson Code Enforcement for 18 1/2 years, and to the men and women who worked with him over that time, he has been a force of kindness and good.

Lawrence Santangelo bids farewell to his fellows in the department. Photo by Kyle Barr

“He’s the most benevolent guy,” said Sergeant Anthony Tucci of the Port Jeff constabulary.

“He’s a philanthropic type of person. The type of guy to send flowers to a person if they’re sick.”

On June 7, the constables gathered at the rear Village Hall steps to send off their respected compatriot into retirement with salutes and the sound of bagpipes.

Santangelo is also the district manager for the Sayville Fire District, the department he’s been with for close to 25 years. In addition, he’s been a senior court officer since 2002, and said he has developed a strong friendship with the judges of the court.

He was a mentor to a number of younger officers in the constabulary, and when he came down the steps of Village Hall, he shook the hands of each officer in turn, from the longest serving to the youngest member.

The longtime code enforcement officer came into the village having already known several of the people from working together in the Town of Brookhaven.

Members of the Port Jefferson Code Enforcement and Mayor Margot Garant, back blue shirt. Photo by Kyle Barr

“I loved it here — I still do,” he said. “I worked with great people.”

He came to the village in 2001, and in 2004 became a sergeant. At the end of 2018, he was promoted to lieutenant.

Now Santangelo is soon moving to Anthem, Arizona, where he plans to enjoy retirement in the sun with his family.

“I’m looking forward to retirement, but it’s a strange feeling that on Monday I don’t have to go to work,” he said.

Shoreham village looks to expand coverage for RP Fire District

by Kyle Barr - June 10, 2019

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Shoreham-Village-Hall-3_Barrw — Village of Shoreham Town Hall is located at 80 Woodville Road. Photo by Kyle Barr

The Village of Shoreham is looking to put themselves under the protective umbrella of the nearby fire department.

While the village currently contracts with the Rocky Point Fire District, village officials have requested home rule applications to extend the fire district boundaries to encompass the tiny North Shore municipality. It might seem like a minor change but expanding the district boundaries to include the .5-square-mile village could take months of work getting the state to agree to the extension.

Rocky Point Fire District boundaries currently do not include the Village of Shoreham. Image from from Long Island Index Maps

For more than a decade, Shoreham village has contracted out to the Rocky Point Fire District for their fire and emergency service needs, according to Rocky Point Fire District manager Ed Brooks.

Neither a representative of Shoreham village nor the village attorney, the Riverhead-based Anthony Tohill, responded to multiple requests for comment.

If the district boundaries are expanded, the cost will instead come out of village residents’ taxes paid to the district. Brooks said the cost shouldn’t be much different for village residents either monetarily or in the coverage by the district.

“We met with them, they sent us some literature and letters, we had a meeting, we advised our attorney, we have given our consent to make the application,” Brooks said.

Village officials requested that the Town of Brookhaven send a home rule request to the New York State legislature to extend the fire district’s boundaries, which was approved unanimously at Brookhaven’s May 23 meeting. A copy of the letter for the request was forwarded to State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk).

The expansion of the district boundaries requires home rule requests by both Shoreham village and the Town of Brookhaven to New York State, requesting special legislation to expand. The process could take months.

“By extending the boundaries, the state gets involved, there’s legislation — it’s a long process,” said town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point).

The Village of Old Field started the same process at the tail end of 2016 to bring in the Setauket Fire District. By July of 2017 the town hosted a public hearing and approved the extension. The fire district taxes were on residents’ bills by December of that year.

Rocky Point Fire District attorney, the Port Jefferson-based Bill Glass, who represents the fire district, said this change would have virtually no difference to the district, adding it would also have little to no difference in the amount the village pays for emergency services.

“When these contracts were designed, they were designed that [village residents] would pay as much as if they were paying for it through their taxes,” Glass said.

Port Jefferson Station Family Dollar robbed in early May

by Kyle Barr - June 7, 2019

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PoliceCar3w — Suffolk County police car. File photo

Security footage of man who allegedly robbed PJS Family Dollar. Photo from SCPD

An employee of a PJS Family Dollar was assaulted and the store robbed early this May.

A man assaulted an employee of Family Dollar, located at 526 Jefferson Plaza, May 2 at approximately 10:40 a.m. The man fled with a cash register drawer that contained approximately $200.

Police: Miller Place vehicles damaged by two men

by Kyle Barr - June 7, 2019

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Suffolk County Police are looking to identify and locate two people who allegedly damaged vehicles in Miller Place.

A total of four vehicles parked at two different houses on Miller Place Road were damaged sometime overnight between May 23 and 24. Three tires and two windows were damaged on a 2013 Jeep Wrangler and three tires were damaged on a 2016 Dodge Ram at one home while two tires were damaged on both a 2010 Subaru Forester and a 2008 Toyota RAV4 at another home.