Police & Fire

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Suffolk County police car. File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested a man on Jan. 21 in connection to 11 felonies, 10 of which occurred in Ronkonkoma during December 2022.

Fifth Precinct Patrol officers responded to a 911 report of a man slashing tires in the parking lot of the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, located at 3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, yesterday at approximately 10:45 a.m. After canvassing the area, officers located and arrested Teshawn Farris at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Lakeland Avenue at 11:03 a.m.

Following an investigation by Fifth Squad detectives and Crime Section officers it was determined that Farris was also allegedly responsible for the following:

  • Slashing the tires of six vehicles at the same hotel on December 24, 2022
  • Falsely reporting two fires at the same hotel and then damaging the fire alarm on December 24, 2022
  • Menacing an employee of the hotel with a knife on December 24, 2022
  • Causing $3850 in damage to a 2022 Tesla in the parking lot of the Ronkonkoma LIRR station of December 2, 2022    

Farris, 26, of 100 North 16th St., Wheatley Heights was charged with nine counts of Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree, two counts of Falsely Reporting an Incident 2nd Degree and one count of Menacing 2nd Degree.  He is being held overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip later today. 

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD
Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole from two liquor stores in December.

A man allegedly stole a bottle of Hennessy from Liquor Plaza located at 133 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station, on December 15 at approximately 5 p.m. A short time later, the man stole a bottle of Hennessy from Barrels and Stills, located at 685 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, at 5:40 p.m. 

  Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward 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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.  

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Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly robbed multiple stores since December. 

A woman entered Dunkin’, located at 1780 Middle Country Road, Ridge, on December 18 at approximately 12:05 p.m. and demanded cash. An employee did not comply and the woman fled without proceeds. The same woman entered Subway, located at 895 Montauk Highway, Shirley, on December 18 at approximately 12:20 p.m., displayed a knife and demanded cash. The woman fled with cash. The suspect entered Carvel, located at 51 Route 25A, Rocky Point, on January 9 at approximately 9:10 p.m., displayed a knife and demanded cash. The suspect fled with cash. 

Detectives believe the woman also robbed Speedway, located at 1956 Route 112 in Coram, at approximately 10:50 p.m. on December 12 and displayed what appeared to be a knife.

For video of this incident, go to YouTube.com/scpdtv

Click on Wanted for Multiple Robberies 22-734047 et al

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward 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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.  

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Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a
pedestrian on the Long Island Expressway on Jan. 22.

A man was driving a 2018 Ford F150 westbound on the Long Island Expressway by Exit 50 in Melville when he pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. He then walked into the middle lane of the highway and was struck by a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu being operated by Oscar Urena at approximately 7:05 p.m. He was then struck by a second westbound vehicle, a 2007 Hummer being operated by Raphael Singleton.

The victim, Ronald Yher, 72, of Selden, was pronounced dead on the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Neither Urena, 40, of Franklin Square, or Singleton, 49, of Brentwood, were injured in the crash. The Ford F150, Chevrolet Malibu, and Hummer were all impounded for safety checks.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact Second Squad detectives at 631-854-8252.

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File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested an East Setauket woman on Jan. 22 for Leandra’s Law for allegedly driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle crash with two 14-year-old girls in her vehicle.

Alison Drain was driving a 2018 BMW X5 northbound on Old Town Road in East Setauket with her daughter and her daughter’s friend in the vehicle, when she attempted to turn left on to Sheep Pasture Road and crashed into a southbound 2004 Lexus RX330 at approximately 5:25 p.m.

When Sixth Precinct officers arrived at the scene, they determined Drain was allegedly intoxicated and arrested her. The two 14-year-old girls were treated for minor injuries at Huntington Hospital at their request. A passenger in the Lexus was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Drain, 52, was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law), Felony Driving While Intoxicated and 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The BMW was impounded for evidence.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Do you recognize these men? Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two people who allegedly stole from a Farmingdale store. 

Two men, one who was described as Black and one who was described as Hispanic, allegedly stole $1,600 worth of tools from Home Depot, located in Airport Plaza, on January 14 at approximately 4:25 p.m. An employee confronted the men and recovered the stolen property as the men were exiting the store. 

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward 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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.  

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Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate four people who allegedly robbed a gas station in Ronkonkoma last year. 

Four males allegedly robbed an employee working at BP, located at 4560 Express Drive South, with a knife on June 26, 2022 at approximately 8:40 p.m. 

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward 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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.  

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Donatila O’Mahony

Update on 03/02/23: Donatila O’Mahony, 43, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a jury found her guilty of killing Lee Pedersen, 69, of Aquebogue, in March 2020.

Defendant Donatila O’Mahony Faces 25 Years to Life in Prison

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Jan. 24 that a jury has found 42-year-old Donatila O’Mahony guilty in the murder of an Aquebogue man in March 2020 and forging the victim’s will in an attempt to inherit his estate.

“The motive for this murder was greed, pure and simple,” said District Attorney Tierney. “O’Mahony befriended the victim and then deliberately set out to steal his estate. The jury has found this defendant guilty and hopefully the victim’s loved ones will now have a small measure of justice knowing his killer will be held responsible for her actions.”

The evidence at trial established that the body of Lee Pedersen, 69, was discovered in his Aquebogue home on March 8, 2020. Pedersen died of a single gunshot to the back of his head. Several items, including Pedersen’s phone and cash, were missing from the home. The ensuing police investigation, which included interviewing several of Pedersen’s friends, including the defendant, as well as the recovery of surveillance video and the review of cell phone cell sites and records, revealed that the defendant was responsible for his murder.

According to evidence included at the trial, in 2019 O’Mahony asked a friend to purchase two handguns for her, a Glock .9 mm and a Sig Sauer .9 mm, in New Jersey to use for the murder. 2 The defendant borrowed the friend’s car and was captured on video surveillance in the area of Pedersen’s home on the night of the murder. When O’Mahony returned several hours later following the murder, she asked the friend to dispose of several items, including the Sig Sauer handgun he had purchased for her, ammunition and clothes. After returning to New Jersey, the friend destroyed the handgun and disposed of the clothes but kept the plastic bag of ammunition in his home. After the bag was recovered by the police, it was swabbed for DNA.

Analysis by forensic scientists at the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory revealed the presence of both O’Mahony’s and the victim’s DNA. In addition to being convicted for her involvement in Pedersen’s murder, O’Mahony was convicted for forging Pedersen’s will and attempting to steal one of the homes he owned. The evidence regarding those crimes included the testimony of other friends of O’Mahony who she convinced to sign the forged will as witnesses.

O’Mahony was convicted by the jury of all charges against her – Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree and Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. She faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

Police car

Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a single-vehicle crash that killed a
woman in Yaphank on Jan. 22.

Fay Vella was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, with her one-year-old daughter as a passenger, on
the southbound William Floyd exit ramp to Express Drive North when she lost control of the vehicle,
crashed through a chain link fence, overturned, and came to a stop in the woods off the roadway at
approximately 1:20 a.m.

Vella, 41, of Selden, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the
Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Her daughter was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center in
Riverhead where she was evaluated and released to a family member. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call theSeventh Squad at 631-852-8752.

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File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested an East Northport man on Jan. 21 for Leandra’s Law for allegedly driving while
intoxicated following a motor vehicle crash with his 11-month-old daughter in the vehicle.

Second Precinct police officers responded to a motor vehicle crash during which a 2021 Hyundai stuck
the rear of a 2020 Mazda on Elwood Road, at the intersection of Pulaski Road, at 6:40 p.m.

It was determined that the driver of the Hyundai, Matthew Gibney, was allegedly intoxicated. Gibney’s 11-month-old daughter was a passenger in the vehicle. The baby was transported by the Northport Fire Department to Huntington Hospital for evaluation. Gibney and the driver of the Mazda were not injured.

Gibney, 33, was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law) and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Hyundai was impounded for a safety check. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.