Hyatt Regency Long Island. Photo from Hyatt website
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a Hauppauge hotel employee who died after falling from a window at the hotel Dec. 4.
David Lerner, an employee of the Hyatt Regency Long Island, located at 1717 Motor Parkway, was at work when he fell from an upper floor window to the ground at approximately 7:30 p.m., according to SCPD.
Lerner, 41, of Holbrook, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on the incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
Setauket Fire Department Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski, middle, and Chief Scott Gressin, right, present badge 729 to the Three Village Historical Society President Steve Healy. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Members of the Setauket Fire Department stopped by the Three Village Historical Society’s History Center on North Country Road Nov. 6 for a special presentation.
Setauket Fire Department Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski, second from left, and Chief Scott Gressin, third from right, present badge 729 to the Three Village Historical Society as the society’s president Steve Healy, left, Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, second from left, and state Assemblyman Steve Englebright look on. Photo by Rita J. Egan
The department dedicated badge number 729. The number is associated with the Culper Spy Ring, and the badge is now mounted on a plaque and displayed in the center. The number was assigned by Benjamin Tallmadge, the organizer and leader of the local Revolutionary War spies, to signify Setauket in coded messages.
Historical society board members as well as state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) were also on hand.
Englebright said the awareness of the spy ring, which he called “part of our American fabric,” is growing thanks to the historical society, and he thanked the fire department for helping to spread the word about the Setauket spies for future generations.
Kornreich said the history “is very much alive in our everyday lives,” given examples of local residents who can trace their roots back to Revolutionary times, including the Strongs who can trace their family history back to Anna Strong, a member of the ring.
“That history still lives within the blood of our community,” Kornreich said. “I think that what we’re all here today to recognize is something deeper and much less obvious, which is a spirit and a tradition that exists in Setauket of people who when the time came and the call came stepped up to answer and face danger.”
He added just as the spies faced danger, so do the firefighters who “rush into the flames to make sure we get out.”
Fire Chief Scott Gressin thanked Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski for helping to see the project through. Regulinski read part of the message on the plaque for those in attendance. A replica of the plaque will also hang within the fire department. After a minimum of a year of probation and service, members receive a badge.
Gressin said when he joined the department in 2002, he became aware of the connection between the “729” symbol, which appears on a few of the Setauket Fire Department trucks based out of the department’s headquarters and the spy ring.
“As we moved forward and realized we were going to approach badge 729, we recognized the symbolic connection,” he said. “That number sat on our trucks, and one of our past chiefs had the forethought to set aside that number and not issue it to a member but to reserve it for a ceremony such as this.”
The event kicked off the historical society’s reopening for its museum after being closed to the public due to COVID-19. The Three Village Historical Society will be open for exhibits:
Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating the death of a construction worker who died from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning while at a residential job site this afternoon in Fort Salonga.
Victor Irizarry, an employee of Suffolk Excavating, was working for approximately 15 minutes to remove silt from the bottom of a drainage pipe approximately 10 feet into the ground at 92 Fort Salonga Road when he stopped responding to co-workers at approximately 2:35 p.m. A co-worker attempted to go down the pipe to rescue Irizarry, but felt burning in his nose and throat, forcing him to exit the pipe.
The Kings Park Fire Department responded to the location and found carbon monoxide levels to be dangerously high. Firefighters were able to pull Irizarry from the pipe.
Irizarry, 30, of Flanders, was transported to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown where he was pronounced dead. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and is investigating.
Yanira Argueta, of St. James, has been reported missing. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department
Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to locate a St. James teen who was reported missing.
Yanira Argueta was last seen on Oct. 19 at work at O Sole Mio, located at 2194 Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook. Relatives of Argueta reported her missing on Oct. 21.
Argueta, 17, is Hispanic, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 150 pounds with green eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt and black sneakers. Argueta speaks fluent Spanish and understands limited English.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on Argueta’s location to call 911 or the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.
Suffolk County Police, with assistance from Stony Brook State University Police, arrested a Stony Brook University student on more than a dozen drug charges following an extensive narcotics investigation.
Members of the Stony Brook University Police Department contacted Suffolk County Police Narcotics Section detectives last month regarding a student possibly selling drugs on campus.
Suffolk police said that following a joint investigation, it was determined Domingo Zaba, 41, who lived on campus, was allegedly selling drugs through social media. Detectives arrested Zaba on October 28 and then executed a search warrant at Zaba’s dorm room. Investigators seized drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, mushrooms, Xanax, ketamine and marijuana.
Zaba was charged with 15 felonies—three counts each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rdDegree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree and one count each of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th Degree and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 5thDegree. He was also charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree, a misdemeanor.
Zaba is scheduled to be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
On Friday, Oct. 22, the Sound Beach Fire Department welcomed the community for a Fire Prevention Open House for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the open house, members of the community were given tours of the vehicles and equipment, got to use a real fire hose, and sat for a viewing of “Surviving the Fire,” a fire safety video produced by the SBFD that tells the story of a local family who barely escaped their house fire in 2015.
The open house concluded with a live burn demo to demonstrate the importance of keeping your door shut when you sleep to keep the smoke and fire out.
Suffolk County Police arrested two women who allegedly stole more than $43,000 from their employer during a nine-month period ending in August.
Elana Sofia and Sandra Bonilla, while employed at Goodwill Industries, located at 1900 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport, allegedly stole money from the company’s bank deposits from November 2020 until August 2021, according to Suffolk County Police.
Following an investigation by 2nd Squad detectives, Sofia was arrested on Oct. 4 and Bonilla was arrested on Oct. 5.
Sofia, 29, of Port Jefferson, and Bonilla, 33, of Brentwood, were charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree. Sofia was arraigned on Oct. 5 and Bonilla is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 6 at First District Court in Central Islip.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Updated Oct. 8 to correct the omission of “alleged” in the print version. We regret the mistake.
Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a robbery that occurred at a Smithtown bank Oct. 2
A man entered TD Bank, located at 714 Smithtown Bypass, at approximately 11:50 a.m. and allegedly handed a teller a note indicating he had a gun and demanding cash. The teller complied with the suspect’s demands and gave him cash from the drawer. The robber fled on foot.
The robber was described as white, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a heavy build and short black hair. He was wearing a Dallas Cowboys face mask, a dark sweatshirt, red or orange shorts and black sneakers.
Detective are asking anyone with information on the robbery to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Suffolk County Police arrested a woman for unlicensed massages during a raid at a massage parlor in Miller Place, Tuesday, Sept. 21.
In response to numerous community complaints, 6th Precinct Crime Section officers, in conjunction with Town of Brookhaven Building Inspector, Town Fire Marshal and Town Investigator conducted an investigation at This Oasis Spa, located at 595 Route 25A, Suite 20, Miller Place, at approximately 8:45 p.m.
Guping Duan, 52, of Flushing, Queens, was charged with two counts of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a Class E Felony under the New York State Education Law. She is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on October 8, 2021.
The Town of Brookhaven documented numerous violations and condemned the premises.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
A farm complex broke out into flames Tuesday;
Left: Seven Seas Construction helps combat the fire in Strong’s Neck. Photo from Setauket Fire Department
By Julianne Mosher & Rita J. Egan
When a fire broke out at a horse complex in Setauket Tuesday morning, more than a dozen different fire departments came together and helped.
One of those volunteers was Thomas Lund, owner of Seven Seas Construction Co. in Port Jefferson.
Lund, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Port Jefferson Fire Department, said he was aware of what was going on a town over and was gearing up to drive to work in Strong’s Neck when the fire broke out.
“The fire happened to be sort of along the way. So, I figured I would bring the barge over,”he said. “I knew they were bringing the fire boat, and I figured I could be a solid platform for them to work off of.”
While dozens upon dozens of fire trucks headed to the flames, along with the fire boat in the harbor, Lund said the team ended up using the water pump that he uses for dock building with his company.
Photo from PJFD
“We were able to supply water until the fire broke out there,” he said. “At the very least we could give a hand because I knew it would be a big operation — a very small part of it, but I figured we could at least do something to help and we were able to, so it was great.”
He added that for about 45 minutes, he and his fellow fighters stretched a line from his equipment on the deck, connecting it to another line at the dock.
“It was a big operation from the start,” he said.
The fire initially broke out at 10 a..m Sept. 21 at 23 Brewster Lane, according to Setauket Fire Department Chief Scott Gressin. The SFD received mutual aid in excess of 16 surrounding departments.
The chief said a 19,000 square-feet structure, that was once used as an interior horse-riding arena, had heaving smoke and fire could be seen coming from multiple sides as firefighters arrived on the scene.
Gressin said the first approach was an offensive one; however, considering the fire load inside of the building, the first responders had to take a defensive approach.
There were no horses in the structure as it has not been used as a riding arena in some time. Gressin said horses in a nearby stable were under no threat. Two firefighters with burns were treated and released from the hospital.
Wednesday morning firefighters and investigators were still at the site.
“It continues to be an active fire scene with a hazardous material incident involving buried propane tanks,” Gressin said. “I have multiple agencies working to mitigate the problem.”
Photo from PJFD
He said the SFD is coordinating with the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. At this time, he cannot anticipate when the investigation will be completed.
Brookhaven’s Chief Fire Marshal Christopher Mehrman said the origin and cause investigation was concluded Tuesday. He said the reason was human error as an electrical conductor that shouldn’t have been energized was. Two electricians who received electrical shocks were transported to the hospital. Mehrman did not have their present status at press time.
Mehrman said the intensity of the fire caused two 1,000-gallon propane tanks to leak. Even though they are underground, the valving is above. He said HazMat technicians are on the scene to control the flow. The fire marshal said neighbors are not in any danger because the propane is being burned off which means no gas is accumulating.
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