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PJFD responds to a fire at Billie's 1890 Saloon on Main Street. Photo by Alex Petroski
PJFD responds to a fire at Billie’s 1890 Saloon on Main Street. Photo by Alex Petroski

A well-known watering hole on Main Street in Port Jefferson is closing its doors — at least for a little while — after a fire shut it down late Monday afternoon.

Billie’s 1890 Saloon, located on the western side of Main Street near the intersection of East Main Street and about a quarter of a mile south of Port Jefferson Harbor, was ablaze after a fire started toward the rear of the building around 4 p.m. on Monday.

Port Jefferson Fire Chief Charlie Russo addressed the incident after the flames were extinguished.

“Right now it’s just a fire that started in the back area of the building— it’s under investigation so I can’t give you too much information, but again it started in the back of the building, not the street side of the building,” Russo said. The kitchen is located in the back of the building.

“It was extinguished fairly quickly and minimal damage was done,” Russo said.

Russo also said that one civilian was taken to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after the blaze.

A spokesman for the business who was on site after the fire declined to comment Monday, but two messages were posted on the saloon’s Facebook page later that night.

“We are temporarily closed for business,” the first message read at about 5:20 p.m.

The second message was posted just before 8 p.m.

“If not for the [Port Jefferson Fire Department],” the message said. “Billie’s would have been no more. Thank you for the prompt response! We will be back soon. [We’ll] keep you posted.”

It is unclear how long Billie’s will remain closed.

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A violent dispute between two homeless men left one with a gunshot wound, and the other in court.

Alain Jean mugshot from SCPD
Alain Jean mugshot from SCPD

Alain Jean, 22, charged with shooting a homeless man in Port Jefferson Station on June 11, pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon when he was arraigned at Suffolk County District Court in Riverhead on Tuesday, according to his attorney and Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.

“He vehemently denies these allegations,” Jean’s Hauppauge-based attorney Donald Mates said in a phone interview Tuesday. “He can’t wait to get his story out there to explain what really happened.”

Jean’s bail was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, according to a spokesman for Spota. Mates said his client wasn’t able to make bail as of Tuesday.

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, Jean shot the 22-year-old victim multiple times shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Union Street, which is between Hallock Avenue and Route 25A, and the Long Island Rail Road tracks in Port Jefferson Station.

The victim was treated for serious injuries at Stony Brook University Hospital. A spokesman for Spota said the weapon used in the shooting was a .22 caliber revolver.

Jean’s next court date is July 26.

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One of the three cars that was involved in the crash. Photo by Steve Silverman.

A Huntington Station woman was killed, and two others were injured, in a three-car crash Sunday night as the result of an alleged drunk driver.

A mugshot of Ryan Gurecki. Photo from SCPD.
A mugshot of Ryan Gurecki. Photo from SCPD.

Ryan Gurecki, 34, of Lindenhurst, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated just before 9:30 p.m. on June 26, after Gurecki was driving a 2010 Ford Explorer on Jericho Turnpike, and struck a 2016 Ford Escape that was stopped at a red light, police said.

The Huntington Manor Fire Department responded to the crash with two heavy rescue trucks and a rescue engine, under the command of Chief Frank McQuade. Firefighters used heavy rescue tools to extricate the three family members in the Ford Escape.

The Huntington Community First Aid Squad then transported the family to Huntington Hospital, where Karen Holden, 56, of Huntington Station, died from her injuries. Her husband, and driver of the Escape, William Holden, 57, suffered a head injury, and her son, Robert Holden, 23, suffered a back injury. Both men were listed in stable condition.

Hyun Chung, 59, of Melville, was driving a 2014 Honda Odyssey west on Jericho Turnpike and was sideswiped by Gurecki’s car, but was not injured.

Gurecki is being held at the Second Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned this morning at First District Court in Central Islip. Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available on the New York State court system’s online database.

All three vehicles have been impounded for safety checks and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information about this crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555.

 

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File photo

A young man was seriously injured on Thursday night as a car slammed into him and three others on Jayne Boulevard.

The Suffolk County Police Department said 19-year-old Jonathon Caba suffered a serious head injury in the Port Jefferson Station crash, which happened close to 9:30 p.m. Both he and 22-year-old Yaviel Calderon, who had a leg injury, were treated at Stony Brook University Hospital while the two others — Jerry Vargas, 18, and Aneudi Dilone, 20 — refused medical attention.

All four victims are from Port Jefferson Station, police said, as is the driver.

According to police, a 22-year-old man was driving north on Jayne in a 2004 Mercedes Benz close to Erie Street when he hit the four pedestrians, who were allegedly walking partially in the road.

The driver had a panic attack and was treated at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, police said.

Police impounded the Mercedes for a safety check and detectives from the SCPD’s 6th Squad are investigating the crash.

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Nazi material, along with weapons were seized from a home in Mount Sinai last June. File photo from the SCPD

American leaders in recent years have often spoken about the U.S. having a hostile political and social climate; a climate in which people are not tolerant of others’ views and in which disagreements sometimes degenerate into verbal or physical assaults.

Certainly many of us have encountered such instances or felt the sting of another person’s unprovoked hatred at some point in our lives, perhaps in the form of blind political opposition, religious intolerance or racial prejudice.

And there have been times when an ideology has endangered our personal safety, such as when Dylann Roof killed nine people at a historic black church in Charleston or when Omar Mateen opened fire at an Orlando gay nightclub, murdering 49 and injuring dozens of others — and killing many LGBT people’s already tenuous sense of safety.

Or when pro-Nazi materials were uncovered in a Long Island home alongside numerous weapons and a manual on how to make a bomb.

The Nazis did not go away with the end of World War II; the disgusting, disturbing views of Adolf Hitler have lived on in people throughout the world, whether they specifically support the swastika or simply have similar ideas and values. So it’s hard to say whether two brothers who were arrested after authorities with a search warrant seized framed photos of Hitler, Nazi flags, and books on white supremacy — as well as guns, drugs and other items — from their North Shore home last week, were always Hitler fans or just persuaded by the recent U.S. social climate.

Whatever the case may be, it’s important more than ever to be vigilant and to speak out when our gut tells us something is wrong.

Mateen had been an aggressive person throughout his life and had made violent threats before, according to media reports. Some incidents were reported at the time and others not until our nation was picking up the pieces after he exploded at Pulse.

Maybe things could have been different if more people around Mateen had the courage to speak out when he said troubling things or displayed violent or unstable tendencies.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said community tips helped authorities ahead of their raid last week at the brothers’ Mount Sinai home. One neighbor described knowing something bad was going on because of a brawl outside the home, cars coming and going at all hours and prescription medication found in the street.

And that was not the first time neighborhood callers helped catch dangerous criminals in Suffolk, or anywhere else for that matter.

Please, don’t be afraid of being wrong or sounding prejudiced. If you get a bad feeling about something, if you suspect something strange is going on, it probably is. Call the police — they are encouraging it — and help us keep our families and friends safe.

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Lights Out

A 37-year-old man from St. James intentionally damaged a metal and glass wall-mounted light fixture at the Arden Bar on Main Street in Port Jefferson at about 3 p.m. on June 18, according to police. He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief.

Three drugs, two guys

On Main Street in Port Jefferson near Linden Place, at about 2 p.m. on June 17, a 25-year-old man from Rocky Point and a 35-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station possessed more than one-eighth of an ounce of heroin and more than eight ounces of marijuana and cocaine, police said. They were arrested and each charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a narcotic for the heroin and cocaine and third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Wild ride

At about 9:30 p.m. on June 18, a 31-year-old man from Punta Gorda, Florida, driving a 1994 Chevrolet on Tyler Avenue in Miller Place failed to stay on the road and swerved onto the lawn of a home, according to police. Police discovered he was intoxicated. While being arrested police said he spit at an officer. He was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson. He was charged with criminal mischief for reckless property damage, driving while intoxicated and harassment for spitting at the officer.

Bad checks

A 38-year-old man from Rocky Point deposited checks made payable to himself on four occasions in January and February at Suffolk Federal Credit Union in Miller Place despite knowing the checks were from an account containing insufficient funds, police said. He was arrested at 7-Eleven on North Country Road in Rocky Point on June 17 and charged with four counts of petit larceny.

On his own street

On North Coleman Road in Selden on June 17 at about noon, a 41-year-old driver from East Patchogue hit a pedestrian and left the scene without reporting the incident, according to police. He was arrested at a home on North Coleman Road and charged with first-degree leaving the scene. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries, police said.

Heroin seized

On June 18, a 28-year-old woman from Selden possessed multiple glassine envelopes containing heroin and prescription medications on Middle Country Road in Selden, according to police. She was arrested and charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Unlicensed hit-and-run

A 43-year-old woman from Port Jefferson Station was driving a 2005 Ford on Terryville Road near Route 347 at about 4:30 p.m. on June 14 when she collided with a 2014 Hyundai, police said. She left the scene without exchanging information. She was later arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, when police discovered her license had been suspended previously, and leaving the scene of an incident with property damage.

Do it yourself

At The Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden on June 15 at about 6:30 a.m., a 54-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station stole various hardware items, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Motorbike mischief

On June 15 at about 2:30 a.m., a 37-year-old man from Selden driving a 2004 Buell motorbike on Route 112, near Walker Avenue in Medford, crashed, police said. Police discovered he was driving with a suspended license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Two hits in one day

On June 19, a 25-year-old man from Mildford was arrested after police said he hit a 2005 Nissan while driving a 2011 Nissan south on Route 231 in Dix Hills and then fled the scene. Later that day, police said he also hit a 2015 Honda while driving on  Route 231, and fled the scene a second time. He was charged with two counts of operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

Shady crime

A 40-year-old woman from Springfield Gardens was arrested on June 18 after police said she took four pairs of Versace sunglasses from Macy’s Backstage on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington. She was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny valuing more than $1,000 in property.

Shoplifting spree

Police said a 25-year-old man from Commack exchanged a pair of boots he had stolen from Bobs’ Stores Footwear & Apparel on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington for a gift card on June 18. He then stole a Fitbit watch and removed nine rings from a locked display case at Macy’s on Walt Whitman Road. After he was arrested police said they also found heroin in his possession. He was charged with two counts of petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Trying to escape in an Escape

A 34-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested on June 18 after police said he was driving a Ford Escape on Pulaski Road and Maple Lane in Huntington with a suspended license. He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operations of a motor vehicle.

Curses

On June 18 a 37-year-old man from Huntington was arrested after police said he yelled and cursed at a manager of Meehan’s of Huntington on New York Avenue outside of the restaurant. He was charged with disorderly conduct with obscene language and gestures.

He would’ve sold a lot of drugs

On June 17, a 31-year-old from Huntington was arrested on Park Avenue in Huntington after police said he had marijuana, cocaine, packaging materials, scales and MDMA in his possession. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of narcotics, second-degree criminal possession of marijuana and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession with intent to sell.

Spring in his step

A 37-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on June 17 after police said he took a GPS, a GPS power cord and eye glasses from inside a 2011 Hyundai parked on Spring Road. He was charged with petit larceny.

In need(le) of some help

Police said a 32-year-old from North Massapequa was arrested on June 15 after he was found in possession of a hypodermic needle while on Hauppauge Road in Huntington. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument.

You gotta pay for that stuff

Police said two unknown people filled a shopping cart full of merchandise in Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on June 17, and then left the store with it — without paying.

Life’s a beach

Police said an unknown group of people harassed a driver of a 204 Chevrolet on June 19, by yelling and chasing him out of Sunken Meadow State Park in Huntington and then throwing various items at his truck, damaging it.

Thief conducts a search

On June 19, police said an unknown person took various clothing items and a breast pump from Target on Crooked Hill Road in Commack and hid it in a plastic bag under the shopping cart, leaving without paying for it.

Lexus looted

Someone stole a wallet containing credit cards from a 2001 Lexus parked outside of a home on Richard Road in Selden at about 12:30 a.m. on June 19, according to police.

Breaking glass in broad daylight

The rear passenger window of a 2013 Ford was shattered while parked near a home on Dare Road in Selden on June 18 just before noon, police said.

Withdrawal wizard

Someone used the personal information of a Stony Brook resident to withdraw money from a Teachers Federal Credit Union bank account at about noon on June 15, according to police.

Jewel thief

Jewelry was stolen from a home on Dyke Road in Setauket at about 9 a.m. on June 16, police said.

Things heated up at Fire and Ice

A 32-year-old man from Bay Shore was arrested on June 18 after police said he punched someone in the parking lot of Fire and Ice Hookah Lounge on West Main Street in Smithtown and had marijuana on him. He was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact and unlawful possession of marijuana.

A 26-year-old man from Amityville was also arrested at Fire and Ice Hookah Lounge that night, after police said he yelled and hit a victim and then stole their iPhone. He was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact and petit larceny.

Caught trying to catch

On June 17, a 32-year-old man from Sayville was arrested after police said he took fishing poles from a residential yard on Peter Road in Lake Ronkonkoma without the consent of the owner. He was charged with petit larceny.

I can’t Chevro-let you have that

Police said a 33-year-old woman from Hauppauge took a 2007 Chevrolet without the consent of the owner while on Woodbury Road in Hauppauge on June 16. She was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Not driving 20/20

A 20-year-old man from Nesconset was arrested on June 16 after police said he was driving a 2001 Hyundai Accent west on Route 25 and Meadow Road in Kings Park while impaired by drugs. He was charged with first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Socket to him

On June 16, a 33-year-old man from Farmingville was arrested after police said he put tool sockets in his pockets while shopping at Sears in the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove and then left the store without paying for them. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Not buying what you’re selling

Police said a 27-year-old from Ronkonkoma had heroin on her while on Express Drive North in Islandia on June 15. She was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, narcotics, with the intent to sell.

Struck

On June 15, a 36-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said she struck and pushed two people while on Haven Avenue in Ronkonkoma. She was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact.

Crack is whack

A 21-year-old man from Stony Brook was arrested on June 15 after police said he was in possession of crack cocaine and a hypodermic needle while driving a 2004 Toyota on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Zoom zoom

Police said an unknown person stole a 2015 Yamaha motorcycle from an apartment complex parking lot on Elliot Avenue in Smithtown on June 18.

Jewelry grabbed

An unknown person took jewelry from a residence on Blackman Street in Smithtown on June 17.

You gotta pay for that stuff

Police said two unknown people filled a shopping cart full of merchandise on Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack and then left the store with it — without paying.

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FIle photo

One man was killed and another injured when two cars collided in Rocky Point on Tuesday morning.

The Suffolk County Police Department said Sean Carpenter’s 2002 Subaru Outback, which had been heading south on County Road 21, crossed into northbound traffic and hit a 1991 Nissan Sentra shortly before 6 a.m., killing 55-year-old driver Jose Amaya, of Medford.

A physician assistant from the county medical examiner’s office pronounced the victim dead at the scene — which was about 1 mile north of Whiskey Road — while Carpenter, 25, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Carpenter is also a Medford resident.

Police impounded both the Subaru and the Nissan for safety checks.

Detectives from the SCPD’s 7th Squad are investigating the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call them at 631-852-8752.

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Stephen Harding photo from SCPD

A Setauket woman reported her homeless son missing last week and police are looking for the public’s help to find the man, who has special medical needs.

Stephen Nathaniel Harding, who goes by the nickname “Nat,” might be in the Selden or Farmingville areas, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. The mother has not heard from her son since May 22 and reported him missing on June 13.

The 29-year-old Harding has Type II diabetes and is addicted to heroin, police said. Authorities described the homeless man as white, 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair. He weighs about 200 pounds and has a scar on his forehead.

Anyone with information about Harding’s whereabouts is asked to call 911, or the 6th Squad detectives who are looking for him at 631-854-8652.

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File photo

A man was electrocuted while working in a tree on a residential street on Sunday.

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, victim Oscar Diaz, identified as a 39-year-old employee of GA Island Landscaping Corps and a Brentwood resident, was killed while working in a tree in a Commack home’s front yard around 10:30 a.m.

Police said Diaz came into contact with power lines at the Roberta Lane home and was electrocuted. A physician assistant from the Suffolk County medical examiner’s office pronounced him dead at the scene.

According to police, both the Commack Fire Department and utility PSEG Long Island also responded to the scene on Sunday.

SCPD Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding Diaz’s death, police said.

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Brig. Gen. Richard Sele speaks on the importance of treating veterans with care. Photo by Alex Petroski

In Suffolk County, veterans who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law now have a rehabilitation resource in a peer setting.

Veterans returning home from military service abroad often struggle assimilating into everyday civilian life. Suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional difficulties, some land in prison — for crimes such as those related to substance abuse — because of difficulty coping with the transition.

Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco (C) announced the Incarcerated Veterans Re-Entry Initiative at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank last week. DeMarco spearheaded the new initiative along with Suffolk County Legislator Bill Lindsay (D-Holbrook), Judge John Toomey of the county’s Veterans Treatment Court, and veteran mentors from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 11.

A block of cells, also known as a pod, within the correctional facility will now be comprised completely of veterans, who will have access to mentors and other services provided by the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center and others, as well as the added benefit of being around others with similar backgrounds and experiences.

“I don’t know of any population of citizens that we would rather have reintegrated into our communities and into our society.”
—Thomas Croci

According to the sheriff, about 8 percent of inmates in the United States have served in the military. And there are about 174,000 military veterans living on Long Island alone.

DeMarco said in an interview after the event that Vietnam veterans have been approaching the sheriff about establishing a dedicated jail pod for many years, similar to what has been done for the adolescents who are separated from the rest of the jail population, but the county’s overcrowded facilities made it a challenge.

“Veterans who have served our country and have been honorably discharged, the lowest point of their lives [is] if they get incarcerated,” DeMarco said, adding that the program will focus on getting incarcerated veterans treatment through various nonprofits for PTSD, addictions or any other mental health problems their experiences in the service contributed to.

“I think we owe that to them. They put their lives on the line for us.”

Brig. Gen. Richard Sele was the keynote speaker and said it is important to treat these veterans with sympathy.

“As soldiers, in addition to the wide range of regulations and policies that we follow, we hold our soldiers accountable to values — very high values,” Sele said. “As a leader and someone who has commanded at various levels, I’ve done so in a very firm and fair manner. But one thing I’ve learned over the years is that you also have to show compassion. You can still be firm and fair and show compassion.”

Ralph Zanchelli, of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 11, has been visiting jails on Long Island to serve as a mentor to veterans for about 16 years, and he spoke on behalf of the group.

“Housing veterans together is so very, very important,” he said. “They will be able to communicate with each other and support each other. We should never forget, when someone serves the country they sign a blank check, pledging to protect and serve the people of the United States of America, willing to give up their lives — and many have.”

“Veterans who have served our country and have been honorably discharged, the lowest point of their lives [is] if they get incarcerated.”
—Vincent DeMarco

New York State Sen. Thomas Croci (R-Sayville) spoke about the importance of rehabilitating returning soldiers with mental health issues.

“I don’t know of any population of citizens that we would rather have reintegrated into our communities and into our society,” he said. “These are exactly the people that we want back in our communities, running our businesses, sharing their experiences in school as teachers, and in law enforcement.”

DeMarco addressed the possible criticism that everyone should be held accountable for breaking the law without preferential treatment.

“They’re being held accountable for their crimes, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “They have to go to court. They’re going to be charged. They’re going to be sentenced. They’re not getting off easy. We’re just giving them a better place and services while they’re incarcerated.

DeMarco likened this jail block to a similar one established in 2011 for 16- to 22-year-olds, which included rehabilitative efforts and mentoring. He said the incarcerated population from that demographic has dropped 75 percent since then.

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