Suffolk County Police arrested four people during a New York State Liquor Authority Inspection at a Port Jefferson bar early Saturday morning.
On July 3, 6th Precinct officers, in conjunction with, New York State Liquor Authority Investigators, Port Jefferson Village Fire Marshal and Port Jefferson Village Constables, conducted an inspection at Barito, located at 201-C Main St. at approximately 12 a.m.
The owner of the bar, Matthew Murray, 40, of Ronkonkoma, was charged with NYS General Business Law: Employing an Unlicensed Security Guards, an unclassified misdemeanor.
Brandon Pressley, 34, of Bellport, Jeremy Marrero 34, of Bellport, and Dustin Mariboe, 32, of Patchogue, all of whom were security guards at the bar, were charged with NYS General Business Law: Unlicensed Security Guard, an unclassified misdemeanor.
There were 348 people in the bar, which was over its capacity of 120 people, and the establishment was closed for the night.
The four men were issued Field Appearance Tickets and will be arraigned at a later date.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Six people were arrested at the start of the holiday weekend in Port Jefferson Station.
Highway Patrol Bureau Selective Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team (SAFE-T) officers conducted a sobriety checkpoint at the intersection of Route 112 and Hallock Avenue during the overnight hours of July 3 into July 4. from 11:05 p.m. until 2:15 a.m.
The checkpoint was part of an ongoing holiday weekend enforcement initiative targeting alcohol and drug impaired driving. A total of 435 vehicles went through the checkpoint.
The following people were charged with Driving While Intoxicated:
Cesar Ortiz, 32, of 54 Carver Blvd., Bellport
Erik Anderson, 38, of 208 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station
Richard Russo, 61, of 12 Mark St., Port Jefferson Station
Hashim Qayyum, 23, of 619 Hawkins Road, Selden
Alexia Smith, 23, of 3540 Gregg Court, Wantagh
Salvatore Laduca, 58, of 7 Blueberry Ridge Road, Setauket
All six will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on July 4.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
File photo of Blydenburgh County Park by Rita J. Egan
On June 30, Suffolk County Police arrested a man after he stabbed another man at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown. The stabbing occurred June 30 at approximately 2:35 p.m.
Brian O’Connor allegedly got into an argument and physical altercation with another man at a camp ground at the park. O’Connor went into his vehicle, allegedly retrieved a knife and stabbed the 60-year-old victim. The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Fourth Squad detectives charged O’Connor, 62, of Middle Island, with Assault 2nd Degree. He was scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on July 1.
Suffolk County corrections officer Candice Ogiejko was killed in a car crash last week. On Monday, members from her department said their goodbyes outside of St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church.
Photo from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own.
On Wednesday, June 23, Candice Ogiejko, of Port Jefferson Station, was killed in a car accident while driving in Yaphank just before 9 p.m.
Photo from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office
As one of the departments newest members, the 25-year-old had just completed her second year on the force, working in the Riverhead Correctional Facility.
“The entire staff of the Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of correction officer Candice Ogiejko,” said Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (D). “Correction officer Ogiejko was just 25 years old and had her entire life and career ahead of her. She will be greatly missed by her loving family, as well as her extended family in law enforcement.”
According to Suffolk County police, Ogiejko was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram northbound on County Road 101, when the vehicle veered toward the center grass median.
When the driver overcorrected, she lost control of the vehicle, which skidded across the lanes and crashed into the northeast corner of Old Dock Road. The vehicle struck curbing, fencing and several large trees before eventually coming to a stop down an embankment near a parking lot, at approximately 8:40 p.m.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) expressed his condolences on his Facebook page.
Suffolk County corrections officer Candice Ogiejko was killed in a car crash last week. On Monday, members from her department said their goodbyes outside of St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church. Photo from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office
“On behalf of all of the residents of Suffolk County, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of correction officer Candice Ogiejko,” he wrote.
On Sunday, June 27, a wake was held at Moloney’s Port Jefferson Station Funeral Home. A funeral Mass was held on Monday at St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church, with the burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Coram.
Members of the Sheriff’s Office lined up in Class A dress uniforms to bid farewell to Ogiejko outside of the church. The Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard served as pallbearers as taps was played on a bugle.
Sometimes there are other events that happen Down Port that require assistance.
Along with the car accidents, fires, and animal rescues, the Port Jefferson Fire Department had to get innovative last week when a 14-year-old girl accidentally got locked in a dressing room.
At approximately 1 p.m. on June 22, Suffolk County Police 6th Precinct officers responded to Kate and Hale, located at 227 Main Street, to help Giavanna Diesso, of Hauppauge, get out of an unusual situation.
Diesso’s mother, Danielle, said that while she was checking out at the counter, Giavanna was finishing inside the dressing room — which nearly a century ago was the First National Bank of Port Jefferson bank vault.
Giavanna Diesso after being saved. Photo from PJFD
When her friend, Ava, 14, left the dressing room, the group joked that they should lock Giavanna in — and her 7-year-old brother Vincent took it literally, giving the door a shove.
“The door shut, and I was terrified,” Danielle said. “I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get her out. I wasn’t sure of the measure they would need to go in order to get her out. I was concerned about air, concerned about her feeling safe, but she maintained such composure. It’s unbelievable.”
The teen stayed cool and collected while the fire department headed inside to assess.
“I was just wondering how long it might take before someone would come to get me out,” Giavanna said.
The department headed into the store, where her family and friends were frantically worried.
“The first arriving rig was our rescue seven, and obviously as soon as they walked in, they realized something was going on,” said third assistant chief Steve Erland.
The team assessed that Giavanna was safe inside and had plenty of oxygen. Then, they got to work.
“Once we knew she had air, we were able to step back and kind of reevaluate, and take the time, to come up with a plan,” he said.
Photo from PJFD
Through the metal door, firefighter Tom Meehan asked the girl to record her surroundings with her iPhone to see how much room they had as they planned a way out.
“She was great,” Meehan said. “She followed directions.”
Ex-chief Brennan Holmes got the air chisel off from the rescue truck to work on the 100-year-old wall. When the first hole was made, he was able to see Giavanna inside, where he was able to assess how big the next opening should be. Through the hole, they handed her a bottle of water and an N95 mask.
With some more chiseling, Holmes and Captain Christian Neubert were able to pull her out — which was caught on film and has since gone viral online.
“This is not something anybody does every day,” Homes said. “But once that first hole was through, and we were able to see her and realize everything was going to work out, it was a great feeling.”
Joined with help from the Terryville Fire Department, Erland said the whole rescue took about 90 minutes.
And considering this type of event is not something firefighters are typically trained for; they were proud of how it all ended up.
“What makes it odd or challenging is this is not something we’ve ever practiced or talked about,” Neubert said. “We’ve never talked about, like, all right … what do we do if we get a girl locked up in a dressing room?”
But with teamwork, the whole procedure went smoothly.
Holmes said the closest training they would typically get in a similar nature would be for a building collapse — so that’s why a plan was needed from the start.
“Having a plan was the big step one because we don’t normally do that,” he said. “But then when it was breaking concrete, we knew that we could do this.”
Cookies sent to the PJFD as a thank you from the Diesso family . Photo by Julianne Mosher
Danielle was happy to have her daughter out and said she will forever be grateful to the Port Jefferson Fire Department.
“First responders certainly are not given the credit and gratitude that they really deserve,” she said. “They leave their families to come across a situation. They’re not even probably 100% sure what they’re getting into so, it’s incredible.”
While the tale of Giavanna and the vault has made national headlines since her Tuesday rescue, Holmes said it was a happy ending.
“It worked out,” he said. “And that’s the best part of the whole story.”
The Port Jefferson Fire Department is always looking for volunteers. If interested, visit them on Facebook or call 631-473-8910.
In light of the recent shooting that happened in Port Jefferson village early Saturday morning, local officials said an increase in police presence and an extension of code officers’ hours will begin immediately.
On June 19 at 1:56 a.m., shots were fired in the parking lot of the bar located at 109 Main St.
Two men, a 22-year-old and a 20-year-old, were hit, causing serious injuries.
According to Fred Leute, village chief of code enforcement, code officers were getting ready to end their shift at 2 a.m. when they heard the sound of gunshots.
Leute, along with three other officers, ran to the scene where one of the code enforcers used his belt to create a tourniquet for the man whose leg was severely injured by the bullet.
“We realized he was going downhill quickly,” Leute said.
Two of the officers tended to one victim, while the other two brought the man with the leg wound to the Stony Brook Trauma Center.
At the time of the shooting, the village’s Suffolk County Police Department Whiskey Unit was at Mather Hospital with an individual they transported there earlier for a medical condition.
Since the two Whiskey Unit officers were tending to another person, village officials have decided to have code enforcement extend their hours until 6 a.m. and will increase their police presence Down Port.
On Tuesday, June 22, trustee Kathianne Snaden and Mayor Margot Garant spoke with SCPD 6th Precinct Inspector Patrick Reilly to request more officers patrolling the village. They also spoke to Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and a representative from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) office.
“After speaking with Legislator Hahn, Inspector Reilly and the governor’s office, and exploring all avenues of enforcement, we can confirm that we will have an increased Suffolk police presence in the village,” Snaden said.
Additionally, the village has extended code hours until 6 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays to keep an eye on the popular local bar scene post-COVID.
“We are taking a zero-tolerance stance on establishments serving alcohol to minors,” Snaden said.
Garant said during Monday’s board of trustees meeting that she was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.
“But we’re grateful that the two young men are still with us,” she said.
Garant added that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in the village.
“We are working with all our state agency partners to bolster police presence, enforcement and proactive measures to prevent underage drinking at our establishments,” she told TBR News Media on Tuesday. “We are committed to doing what we can as a village and local authority.”
While the investigation is still ongoing, just 30 hours after the incident, 20-year-old Port Jefferson Station resident Ethan Ladd was charged with two counts of assault in the first degree, a felony.
He was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Monday, June 21 and released on $25,000 bail.
Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers and two good Samaritans rescued a man who nearly drowned in Port Jefferson on Sunday, June 21.
Alan Goldberg was attempting to anchor a boat on Whitehall Beach when he lost his footing and became unresponsive in the water at approximately 2:30 p.m. Two good Samaritans on the beach, Frances George and Karl George, performed CPR until Marine Bureau Officers Cory Kim and Shane Parker arrived on scene and transferred Goldberg onto Marine Delta.
The officers, with the assistance of Frances George and Karl George, continued CPR while transporting Goldberg, 70, of Coram, to the Port Jefferson Boat Ramp. He was transferred to a waiting ambulance and taken to St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson with serious injuries.
Frances George, 30, and Karl George, 65, both of East Setauket, were not injured.
Suffolk County Police 4th Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a motorcyclist in Kings Park June 20.
Florent Syla was riding a 2018 Yamaha eastbound on Route 25A when he attempted to pass a 2011 Toyota that was attempting to make a left hand turn onto Patiky Street and collided at approximately 4:45 p.m.
Syla, 26, of Bellmore, was taken via ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious physical injuries. Neither the driver of the Toyota, William Halper, 89, of South Setauket, or a passenger in his vehicle, were injured.
Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the 4th Squad at 631-854-8452.
Suffolk County Police are investigating a shooting that happened Saturday in Port Jefferson village.
According to SCPD, two men were shot in a parking lot at 1:56 a.m.
Village constables said two individuals were shot downtown in what appears to be a targeted incident.
“Our Code officers responded to the scene and tended to the two victims, including rushing one of the victims to the hospital,” a statement read. “At the time of the shooting, our SCPD Whiskey Unit was at Mather Hospital with an individual they transported there earlier for a medical condition.”
It added that SCPD responded to the scene to secure the scene and conduct an investigation. At this time, both victims were treated at SUNY Stony Brook and have been stabilized.
“SCPD worked tirelessly through the night processing the crime scene and following leads,” they wrote.”
The shooting is still being investigated.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.
Check back to TBR News Media for more information.
On Thursday, June 17, a man was found dead in Port Jefferson Station at the Greenway Trail, near Clifton Place at approximately 1 a.m.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the stabbing death of a man that occurred on the trail. The body of the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on the case to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
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