Police & Fire

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from a Commack store in August.

A man allegedly stole approximately $260 worth of merchandise from Target, located at 98 Veterans Memorial Highway, on August 4 at approximately 9:10 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 Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly used a stolen credit card in Smithtown in September.

A woman went to Walgreens, located at 712 Smithtown Bypass, at 12:17 p.m. on September 11 and allegedly used a credit card that was later reported stolen to make approximately $600 worth of purchases.

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.

File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested a man and a woman on Oct. 23 for allegedly burglarizing five businesses since Oct. 19.

Following an investigation by Sixth Squad detectives, Ralph Pergola and Kristin DiGiglio were identified as having allegedly committed multiple burglaries within the Sixth Precinct between October 19 and Oct. 23. During each burglary, the pair allegedly broke the glass front door of the business and stole money from a register.

Pergola and DiGiglio were arrested by Sixth Squad detectives for allegedly burglarizing the following businesses:

  • Setauket Village Diner, located at 283 Route 25A, East Setauket, on October 19
  • Café Spiga, located at 176 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai, on October 19
  • Barcode Smoke Shop and Hookah, located at 115 Mark Tree Road, Centereach, on October 21
  • Port Smoke & Vape Shop, located at 683 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station, on October 22
  • Better on a Bagel Express, located at 25 Gibbs Road, Coram, on October 23

Pergola, 44, and DiGiglio, 35, both undomiciled, were each charged with five counts of Burglary 3rd Degree.

Anyone with information on these burglaries is asked to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

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Suffolk County Police are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man on the Long Island Expressway on Oct. 23.

Matthew Pawlak was driving a 2007 Jeep eastbound on the Long Island Expressway, between exits 62 and 63, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed head-on into the center median at 2:34 a.m.

Pawlak, 45, of Riverhead, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact Sixth Squad detectives at 631-854-8652.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman who allegedly used fraudulent identification in an attempt to withdraw money from another person’s bank account.

A woman allegedly used a fraudulent Connecticut driver’s license to attempt a $2000 withdrawal from a Great Neck woman’s account at Chase Bank, located at 705 Smithtown Bypass, on July 3 at approximately 5:20 p.m. The woman has tattoos on both hands.

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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Police car. Stock photo

Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that critically injured a motorcyclist in Patchogue last night.

Joseph Podlaha was operating a 2022 Harley Davidson motorcycle southbound on Waverly Avenue when it collided with a 2009 Nissan Maxima that was making a left turn onto Waverly Avenue from West 5th Street at approximately 10:30 p.m.

Podlaha, 20, of East Islip, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition. The driver of the Nissan, Griffin Hill, 20, of Patchogue, and a passenger in the vehicle, were transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue for treatment of minor injuries.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.

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Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating after two elderly women were assaulted during home burglaries in Mastic Beach since last week.

A man entered a Mastic Beach home through an unlocked window on October 10 and assaulted a 78-year-old woman at approximately 4 a.m. On October 17, a man with a similar description broke a window and entered another Mastic Beach home, assaulting a 75-year-old woman at approximately 12:40 a.m.

Both women were alone at the time of the assaults. They were transported to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Following an investigation by Seventh Squad detectives, Derrick Clancy, 42, undomiciled, was arrested on Carleton Avenue in Central Islip on Oct. 22 and charged with two counts of Burglary 1st Degree, a felony.

 

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole flooring from an East Farmingdale store. 

A man allegedly stole flooring, valued at approximately $1500, from Floor & Décor, located at 1002 Broadhollow Road, on September 14 at approximately 2 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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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole from an East Setauket store in September.

A man allegedly stole assorted merchandise from Kohl’s, located at 5000 Nesconset Highway, at 1:45 p.m. on September 17. The merchandise was valued at approximately $835.

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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Photo from Suffolk D.A.'s office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Oct. 13 that Keith DiBartolomeo, 51, of Smithtown, was indicted for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance and other related charges, for selling cocaine which contributed to a man’s death, and the near fatal overdose of the woman, and for leaving the scene after one of the overdoses without contacting first responders or rendering aid to the victim who was overdosing.

“New York State’s 911 Good Samaritan law encourages people to report their own overdose or another person’s overdose without the fear that they will be arrested. This law was created to help save lives,” said District Attorney Tierney. “In this case, however, the defendant allegedly left two people without rendering them aid or even calling for help in a most cruel and callous display of disregard for human life.”

According to the investigation, on January 21, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Suffolk County Police Department officers responded to a residence in Smithtown where they found an unresponsive female lying unconscious on the driveway of the residence. The woman was transported to St. Catherine’s Hospital where she was treated for a drug overdose and hypothermia.

Upon arrival to the emergency room, the victim’s body temperature was 82.8 degrees. Fortunately, this medical care saved the victim’s life.

A search of the residence led police to a back apartment, where the body of a deceased male was discovered. Two plastic baggies containing residue were allegedly recovered from the apartment. The Suffolk County Crime Laboratory tested the residue from both bags. The results of testing indicated that the residue from one bag was cocaine, and the residue from the second bag contained fentanyl.

A review of home surveillance footage from the residence allegedly showed that on January 21, 2023, at 5:27 a.m., DiBartolomeo pulled the unconscious female victim from her car and dragged her onto the driveway. After a brief attempt to wake the victim, DiBartolomeo is allegedly depicted leaving the female victim lying in the driveway despite frigid January temperatures while he went into the residence. Nearly four hours later, at 9:15 a.m., DiBartolomeo is allegedly depicted in surveillance footage walking past the victim, who was still lying on the driveway, getting into his car, and leaving the scene.

At 9:54 a.m., a tenant living in a separate area of the residence called 911 after discovering the woman lying on the driveway. That same 911 call led to the discovery of the deceased male victim found inside the apartment of the residence.

On February 16, 2023, members of the Suffolk County Police Department observed DiBartolomeo allegedly using a drug in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The officers placed DiBartolomeo under arrest and recovered two plastic bags containing a powdery substance from inside the vehicle. The Suffolk County Crime Laboratory tested the powdery substance and determined that it was cocaine.

On October 12, 2023, DiBartolomeo was arraigned on the indictment by Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Anthony S. Senft Jr., for the following charges:

  •   Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony – for the sale of cocaine to the two overdose victims;
  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Class B felonies – one count for the cocaine sold to the two overdose victims in January and the other count for the cocaine possessed in February;
  •   Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a Class D felony – for cocaine possessed in February and an additional intent to sell charge; and
  •   Two counts of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, Class A misdemeanors – for not rendering aid to the overdose victims.

Judge Senft placed DiBartolomeo on supervised released with a GPS monitor during the pendency of the case. DiBartolomeo is due back in court on October 31, 2023, and he is being represented by Richard Kaufman, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Golombek of the Narcotics Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective John McGlynn from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Narcotics Section.