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Three’s company
A 27-year-old man from Dix Hills, a 29-year-old woman from Commack and a 46-year-old man from Dix Hills were arrested on March 10 at 9:15 p.m. inside a 2004 Mercedes-Benz parked on Village Hill Drive in Dix Hills after police found drugs in their possession. The 27-year-old man was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for having crack cocaine and heroin on him, according to police. The 29-year-old woman was charged with one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance after police said they found her in possession of cocaine. The 46-year-old was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for prescription pills and cocaine, police said.

Cut off
Police said a 21-year-old man from Greenlawn punched a man in the face, causing cuts, at a municipal parking lot on Elm Street in Huntington on March 13 at 3:40 a.m. He was arrested and charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.

Kiss of theft
A 26-year-old man from Brooklyn was arrested on March 12 just before 5 p.m. after police said he stole lipstick and denim jeans from Lord & Taylor in Huntington. He was charged with petit larceny.

Pail protection
Police said an unknown man used a plastic garbage pail to hide various items he stole while inside Island Thrift in Huntington Station at 11:30 a.m. on March 12.

Dunkin’ Donuts drama
On March 11, a 32-year-old man from Huntington was arrested after police said he stole a wallet and assorted cash from a vehicle parked in the parking lot of Dunkin’ Donuts on Wall Street in Huntington at 1:20 p.m. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

On March 10, a 51-year-old man from Huntington was arrested at 4:30 p.m. after police said he took out a kitchen knife and started swinging it at another man in the parking lot of Dunkin’ Donuts on Wall Street in Huntington. He was charged with second-degree menacing with a weapon.

Toyota troubles
Police said a 37-year-old man from Kings Park had cocaine on him on March 9 just after 5 p.m. while driving a 1993 Toyota sedan on Townline Road in Commack. He was originally pulled over for driving with a suspended license, when police said they saw cocaine in plain sight. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Lots of drugs
Police said a 33-year-old man from Huntington was arrested on March 11 on the corner of Dickinson Avenue and Imperial Court in East Northport after he was found to have marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills on him. He was charged with three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

You’ve got (no) mail
Police said an unknown person stole a mailbox from a front yard on Elwood Road in Elwood on March 12 at 6 p.m.

Jewlery nabbed
On March 13, at a Sears on Jericho Turnpike in Elwood, police said an unknown woman stole jewelry.

Police crack down
At about 11:30 p.m. on March 12 at the Commack Motor Inn on Jericho Turnpike, a 24-year-old woman from Queens and a 25-year-old woman from Manhattan were arrested when they were found to be in possession of Ambien and cocaine, according to police. They were both charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance. A 26-year-old man from Copiague was also arrested at the scene and charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance with the intention to sell crack cocaine, police said.

Laptops looted
On March 11, a 19-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested for stealing laptops from Sachem High School North on Smith Road in Lake Ronkonkoma at about 2 a.m., police said. He was charged with third-degree burglary.

Driving with drugs
According to police, a 20-year-old man from Centereach was arrested on Dorchester Road in Lake Ronkonkoma on March 11 for possessing heroin while driving a 2005 Mitsubishi. He was charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Bumpy ride
At about 2 a.m. on March 10, police said a 47-year-old man from Patchogue was pulled over on Pond Road in Ronkonkoma for having items in the bed of a pickup truck that were not secured. During the stop, police discovered that he was under the influence of drugs. He was charged with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Walmart — one stop theft
Police said a 20-year-old man from Central Islip was arrested for stealing air pistols and cartridges from Walmart on Veterans Memorial Highway in Islandia at about 5 p.m. on March 10. He was charged with petit larceny.

Unapologetically unlicensed
At about 5 p.m. on March 10, a 35-year-old man from Central Islip was arrested for driving a 2004 BMW on Townline Road in Hauppauge with a suspended license, police said. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

How did that get here?
Police said they responded to a call at a home on Lake Terrace Road in Ronkonkoma just before noon on March 9 and found more than two ounces of marijuana in plain view. A 49-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Kindly leave
A 40-year-old woman from Port Jefferson was arrested on March 9 for refusing to leave a home on Hawkins Ave in Lake Grove, police said. She was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing.

Expensive car thief
On March 9, a 45-year-old man from Amity Harbor was arrested in Hauppauge for stealing a Mercedes-Benz from a home on Wicks Lane in Head of the Harbor on Sept. 21, police said. They also said he stole cash and credit cards from a 2001 Porsche at a home on Meadow Gate East in Head of the Harbor on Sept. 20. When he arrived at the 4th Precinct, police discovered he possessed a controlled substance, and he was charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, as well as seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Idle Buick
Police discovered a man in a 2002 Buick parked for a prolonged period of time in the parking lot of a Marriot Hotel in Ronkonkoma at about 11 p.m. on March 9. He was found to be in possession of heroin, police said, and was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Drunk driver crash
Police said a 28-year-old man from Northport was driving drunk in a 2002 Subaru on Sunken Meadow Road in Kings Park at about 3 a.m. on March 13 when he lost control of the car and crashed into a tree. A 24-year-old man from Kings Park who was in the passenger seat was injured and transported via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition, police said. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Head-on
A motorcyclist is in critical condition after an allegedly drunk driver crashed into him on Sunday afternoon.
The 2003 Indian motorcycle was going east on North Country Road while a 2002 Subaru Outback was headed west on the same road, and the two collided near Mountain Ridge Drive in Mount Sinai, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
The 60-year-old motorcyclist, who is from Mount Sinai, was in critical condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, police said. A 36-year-old Rocky Point resident, the driver of the Subaru, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
The suspect was also treated for minor injuries at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson and was released, police said.

Crash into me
Police arrested a Huntington woman for driving while ability impaired on March 12. The 59-year-old woman was in a 2003 Chevrolet on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station that night when she crashed into another car at Nesconset Highway.

Rise and shine
A 57-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested on March 11 for criminal possession of a controlled substance after officials found him unconscious in a parked 2001 Volvo. Police said the car was running and was not parked in a safe location on Davis Avenue in Port Jefferson Station. Police found the man in possession of crack cocaine and marijuana and arrested him at the scene, around 8:14 a.m.

No vacation
Police arrested a 24-year-old man from Brentwood on March 12 after he failed to maintain his lane of travel in a 2005 Mazda. Police pulled the man over near Malibu Lane in Centereach and arrested him for driving while ability impaired.

Sword of destiny
On March 9, police arrested a 23-year-old man for petit larceny. Between Feb. 9 and 13, police said, the Selden man stole a guitar and a sword from a store along Eastwood Boulevard.

Wrong way
A man from East Meadow was arrested on March 11 for driving while ability impaired in Stony Brook. According to police, the 21-year-old man was driving a 2012 Nissan south in the northbound lane of Route 25A around 1:52 a.m.

The Tudors’ violent end
Around 1:30 a.m. on March 13, an unknown person threw a large rock at a 2006 Chrysler that was parked on Tudor Road in Centereach.

Gone in 60 seconds
On March 12 around 9:14 p.m., an unidentified person entered the Sunoco gas station on Route 25A in Mount Sinai and demanded money from an employee. Police said the employee was counting the money when the suspect punched the victim in the face and fled with the cash. According to police, the employee didn’t need medical assistance.

Might as well jump
Police said two unidentified people got into a confrontation on March 11 around 4:50 p.m. on Ruland Road in Selden. According to police, the suspect jumped on and damaged the other individual’s 2005 BMW.

Go ahead and jump
Police arrested a 25-year-old man on March 11 for driving while ability impaired, after authorities said the Miller Place man, who had been driving a 1998 Ford from Route 25A onto Broadway in Rocky Point, pulled over and jumped the fence of King Auto Sales.

Bent out of shape
According to police, on March 8 around 12:20 p.m. a man reported that the side of his 2011 Ford was smashed and the parking brake was bent.

Plebe’s rebellion
On March 8, a woman entered the King Kullen on Middle Country Road in Selden and stole several shopping bags of assorted items before fleeing in a white Dodge.

Thieves flushed with jewels
On March 10, between 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., someone entered a residence on Market Path in Setauket-East Setauket and stole jewelry. Police said the suspect entered the home through a second-floor bathroom window.

According to police, a woman returned to her Stony Brook residence to find an unknown man in her living room who then fled with money and jewelry. Police said the incident happened on March 12 around 11:10 p.m.

Drugs and rock ‘n’ roll
Between 7:30 a.m. on March 7 and 1:14 p.m. the following day, someone entered a residence on Eastport Drive in Sound Beach, ransacked the house and stole drugs and music equipment.

Deforestation
On March 7 around 7:25 a.m., someone damaged the front door frame of a residence on Forest Road in Rocky Point.

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Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota outlines the investigation on Wednesday. Photo by Alex Petroski
A makeshift memorial is erected at the scene of the fatal Cutchogue crash. Photo by Phil Corso
A makeshift memorial is erected at the scene of the fatal Cutchogue crash. Photo by Phil Corso

By Phil Corso & Alex Petroski

Story last updated 3.17.16, 8:15 a.m.

A fatal crash was the result of a limousine’s dangerous U-turn at a busy intersection in Cutchogue, and on Wednesday, a special grand jury placed the blame on the driver.

Carlos F. Pino, 58, of Old Bethpage, surrendered to police Wednesday and was arraigned on four charges of criminally negligent homicide, four counts of assault, failure to yield the right of way, reckless driving and other traffic violations, Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota said. Pino was attempting a U-turn near the intersection of Depot Lane and County Route 48 on July 18 when Steven Romeo, 55, of Peconic, T-boned the limo, killing four and injuring six.

The crash killed Smithtown’s Brittney Schulman, 23, and Lauren Baruch, 24, as well as Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park, and Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack, who were all riding in a limousine in the middle of a weekend wine tour on the eastern part of the Island. The collision also injured passengers Joelle Dimonte, 25, of Elwood, Melissa Angela Crai, 23, of Scarsdale, Alicia Arundel, 24, of Setauket, and Olga Lipets, 24, of Brooklyn. Romeo, the DA said, was operating the truck under the influence of alcohol and was charged with driving while intoxicated the day of the crash.

Pino pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday and was given a cash bail $50,000 and bond of $100,000. His next court date was scheduled for April 19. Romeo also pleaded not guilty to two counts of driving while intoxicated and one charge of driving while ability impaired by alcohol on Wednesday and was released with his next court date set for April 26.

“I think they may have been somewhat surprised,” Spota said when family members of the victims were notified that Pino, and not Romeo, would be indicted as a result of the crash. “They either expected that it would be the other way around, that Romeo would be the party who would be completely at fault, or perhaps it was just a totally unavoidable accident. Indeed, what the grand jury has found out is that it was totally unavoidable, only as to Romeo, but not as to Pino.”

At the scene, Pino had told police he did not see any oncoming traffic, Spota said. But the subsequent investigation revealed why.

The county had been investigating the crash over recent months, and on Wednesday, the DA announced that while Romeo may have been driving while impaired, the risky U-turn still made it nearly impossible for the collision to be avoided. The grand jury conducted a five-hour investigation of the crash and found that Pino had “limited sight lines looking into westbound traffic” because a Jeep Liberty was positioned in the intersection waiting to turn left onto Depot Lane, Spota said in a statement.

Spota said the Jeep Liberty “completely blocked the limo driver’s view of the oncoming traffic in the main travel lanes.” And despite the fact that the main westbound travel lanes were not visible, the DA said Pino failed to take any precaution to make sure he could safely enter the westbound travel lanes and he continued to make the U-turn.

“A perfectly sober Steven Romeo could not avoid this crash. An intoxicated Steven Romeo could not avoid this crash. It was simply unavoidable from Romeo’s perspective,” Spota said. “Romeo can be held criminally responsible for driving while intoxicated but he cannot be held criminally responsible for the crash.”

Related: Vineyard visit ends in tragedy for Commack, Smithtown West grads

Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said during the press conference that unfortunately many limo drivers exiting Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue try to make the dangerous left U-turn that ended up being fatal, because it is the fastest route to head back west.

“There are other ways to head back west, but that’s the easiest way for them to do it,” Flatley said.

There is now a traffic light at that intersection, Flatley said.

Spota said Romeo was heading west at about 55 miles per hour when the crash occurred. He did not see the limo enter the intersection until he was about 200 feet away, the district attorney said.

“Mr. Romeo had only 200 feet to react to the hazard he saw, and stop his vehicle,” Spota said. “Traveling at 55 mph, it would have taken 1.6 seconds to perceive the limo in his path, to realize he must apply his brakes, and then to begin braking.  This would leave Romeo with even less distance, 129 feet, to avoid a crash — impossible for him to do. In fact our experts tell us that at 55 mph it would have taken anyone 263 feet to stop and avoid the crash.”

After investigating the crash, Spota said the incident was “unavoidable,” thus keeping a grand jury from indicting Romeo for vehicular manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide.

From left, Amy Grabina, Brittany Schulman, Lauren Baruch and Stephanie Belli. Photos from Facebook
From left, Amy Grabina, Brittany Schulman, Lauren Baruch and Stephanie Belli. Photos from Facebook

Belli, Baruch and Schulman were all decorated members of the national and language honor societies by the time they graduated from Smithtown High School West. Over the summer, schools Superintendent James Grossane said Belli, a 2010 graduate, had an infectious smile and was an enthusiastic student and member of the district’s championship kick line team. Baruch, a 2009 graduate, was best known for her booming laugh and unforgettable smile, Grossane said. Schulman, he said, was another 2010 graduate and had a profound love for her family.

Grabina graduated in 2010 from Commack High School and went on to pursue accounting at Florida State University, ultimately landing a job at Ernst & Young in Tallahassee, Fla.

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Michael Powell mugshot from SCPD

A young man is in serious condition after the car he was riding in crashed into a tree and the driver was arrested for allegedly driving drunk.

The Suffolk County Police Department said the 2002 Subaru was going west on Sunken Meadow Road in Kings Park shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday when driver Michael Powell, 28, lost control of the car and hit a tree, just east of the intersection with Kohr Road.

Front seat passenger Dennis Clancy, a 24-year-old Kings Park resident, was listed in serious condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, police said.

Powell, of Northport, was charged with driving while intoxicated. It was not clear whether he was hurt in the crash.

Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.

Police impounded the Subaru for a safety check.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact detectives at the 4th Squad at 631-854-8452.

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Yokito Yoneyama mugshot from SCPD

A motorcyclist is in critical condition after an allegedly drunk driver crashed into him on Sunday afternoon.

The 2003 Indian motorcycle was going east on North Country Road while a 2002 Subaru Outback was headed west on the same road, and the two collided near Mountain Ridge Drive in Mount Sinai, the Suffolk County Police Department said.

Ronald Starke, the 60-year-old motorcyclist from Mount Sinai, was in critical condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, police said. Yokito Yoneyama, a 36-year-old Rocky Point resident and driver of the Subaru, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.

Yoneyama was also treated for minor injuries at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson and was released, police said.

The SCPD impounded both the Indian motorcycle and the Subaru for safety checks.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the investigating detectives at the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555.

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File photo

A late night house fire on Parkside Avenue in Miller Place Thursday night killed a 70-year-old man inside, Suffolk County police said Friday.

Authorities said a 911 caller reported the fire at 106 Pakrside Ave. around 11:50 p.m. Thursday night. That was when members of the Miller Place Fire Department discovered the man, whose identity was being withheld until authorities could notify his next of kin, and pulled him out of the blaze.

Police said the fire department took the man to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives said they did not believe the fire was criminal in nature.

Firefighters from other departments, including Rocky Point, Sound Beach, Mount Sinai and Middle Island also responded to the fire to help extinguish the flames, the county police department said.

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Police say a man exposed his genitals to a girl while she was walking to school in Cold Spring Harbor. Sketch from SCPD

A man exposed himself to a girl who was on her way to school earlier this week.

The Suffolk County Police Department said that on Tuesday the high school student was walking on Thicket Drive in Cold Spring Harbor around 8:20 a.m. when a man drove up to her, opened his sedan’s door and exposed his genitals. At that point, police said, the suspect called her over to the car.

She ran away and told security personnel at Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior High School, who contacted the police.

Police described the perpetrator as a young-looking Hispanic male in his 20s, with black hair shaved on the sides but long in the center, where it was pulled in a bun. His car was a small, tan-colored sedan with four doors.

Authorities are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man, who is wanted for public lewdness.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. They can be reached anonymously at 800-220-TIPS.

Anyone with information can also contact detectives at 631-854-8252.

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Drug bust

At about 4 p.m. on March. 4, in a parking lot outside of Upsky Long Island Hotel in Hauppauge, two 25-year-old men and a 20-year-old man, all from Lindenhurst, as well as a 26-year-old woman from Greenlawn, all seated in a 2005 Ford, were arrested for having heroin in the car, police said. They were charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. At the same time and place, a 26-year-old man from Patchogue and a 23-year-old woman from Rocky Point, seated in a 2012 Honda, were arrested for having heroin in their car, according to police. They were also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A 28-year-old woman in a 2015 Chrysler was also arrested at the same time and place. She was charged with fourth-degree criminal facilitation for enabling another person to sell narcotics.

No license, no drive

A 30-year-old man from Holbrook was arrested on March 4 after he was pulled over for driving a 2009 Hyundai on Motor Parkway in Central Islip with a dark cover over the car’s front license plate just before 2 a.m., police said. He was charged with third-degree unlicensed operation of a vehicle when it was determined he was driving without a license.

Parking lot party

On March 4, a 55-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma were arrested while seated in a 2009 Lincoln outside of Kohl’s in Lake Ronkonkoma. Police said there was crack cocaine in plain sight in the car, and pills found on the man, which he did not have a prescription for. The man was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and the woman was charged with one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

You can run, but you can’t hide

At about 10:20 p.m. on March 4, a 21-year-old man from St. James, a 19-year-old man from Brentwood and a 19-year-old man from Nissequogue were approached by Smithtown Park Rangers while parked in a 2011 Nissan Maxima at Short Beach Town Park in Nissequogue. As the Rangers got closer to the vehicle, the driver took off and eventually crashed into a utility pole and flipped the car into the woods on Short Beach Road, police said. The driver and front seat passenger were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by St. James ambulances and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The rear seat passenger was transported via Nissequogue ambulance to the same hospital but was listed in critical condition. The driver was charged with first-degree driving while under the influence of drugs and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Headlight out, handcuffs on

On Nesconset Highway in Smithtown, at about midnight on March 3, a 24-year-old man from Medford was pulled over by police for driving a 1999 Honda with one headlight out, police said. He was later found to be driving without a license. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Lucky to be alive

A 35-year-old man from Dix Hills crashed a 2012 Acura at about 11 p.m. on March 3 while driving on Johnson Avenue in Ronkonkoma, police said. He was charged with driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction in the last 10 years.

Bug bombed

At about 1 a.m. on March 2, an 80-year-old man from Islip was arrested for throwing three 32-ounce cans of indoor fogger, used to kill insects, through a window of a home on Grand Boulevard in Islip, police said. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief with the intent to damage property.

Careful who you steal from

At LA Fitness on Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge, an unknown person stole money and credit cards from a 2014 Jeep parked there on March 5, just after noon, police said.

Put a ring on it

Police arrested a 29-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station for grand larceny, for allegedly stealing an engagement ring from a residence and pawning it on Feb. 22. Police arrested him on March 2 on Route 25A in Port Jefferson.

Axe to grind

On March 3, a homeless man allegedly held a metal axe over his head as he advanced toward another man near a home on Old Post Road in Mount Sinai. Police arrested him for menacing at the scene.

ShopWrong

Police arrested a Hampton Bays resident on March 6 around 10:16 p.m. for petit larceny, after the 36-year-old woman allegedly took assorted groceries without paying from ShopRite at College Plaza in Selden. Police arrested her at the scene.

Bracelet blunder

A 18-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property, after police said the man stole a 14-karat gold bracelet from All Island Jewelry & Loan on Middle Country Road in Centereach on Feb. 29 at 11:15 a.m.

Swiper, no swiping!

A Port Jefferson Station resident was arrested on Feb. 29 for driving while ability impaired. Police said the man was driving a 2000 Toyota Camry when he sideswiped a parked car on Joline Road.

Caught off-guardrail

On March 5, a Stony Brook resident was driving a 2000 Toyota Camry on Route 25A in Setauket when she crashed her car. According to police, the 28-year-old woman struck a guardrail before hitting several trees along the road. Police arrested the woman for driving while ability impaired at the scene, around 2:08 a.m.

People, stop driving impaired!

Police charged a 45-year-old man with driving while ability impaired on March 4. The Lake Grove resident was driving a 2008 Jeep when an officer allegedly saw him speeding on Route 25A. Police pulled over the man on the corner of Route 25A and Hawkins Road in Stony Brook and arrested him at the scene.

Planted into jail cell

A 31-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested on March 2 after allegedly loitering on Garden Road in Rocky Point. According to police, authorities discovered he was in possession of cocaine and arrested him at the scene for loitering and unlawful use of controlled substances.

Breakfast of champions

On the morning of March 2, police charged a 36-year-old man from Rocky Point with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. The man was driving a black Toyota Camry on Route 25A in Port Jefferson Station when an officer pulled him over. Police allegedly discovered the man to be in possession of heroin and prescription medication, as well as hypodermic needles.

Emancipating cash

On March 3 around 8 p.m., someone broke the rear window of a residence on Lincoln Avenue in Port Jefferson Station and stole cash from inside.

No photos, please

Police said a man took photos of a female couple on March 4 at Grumpy Jack’s Sports Bar & Grill on Oakland Avenue in Port Jefferson. When the man refused to delete the photos, one of the women hit him in the head with a bottle. The couple fled and the man refused medical attention.

Crazy thief

Between March 3 and 4, according to police, someone pried open the rear door of the Crazy Beans coffee establishment on Route 25A in Miller Place and stole a safe containing money.

Stop that shopping

Police said a woman left her purse in a shopping cart after shopping at Stop & Shop on Pond Path in South Setauket on March 6 and drove off. The purse was stolen before she returned to the store. Police said several credit cards were used.

Rather safe than sorry

Between Feb. 29 and March 4, someone broke into a residence on Magnolia Drive in Selden and stole money from an unlocked safe.

A little housekeeping

Around 1:45 p.m. on March 6, someone stole two blenders and a vacuum from Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket.

Thief is on fire

Police said sometime between March 1 and March 2, someone stole a Kindle Fire and coins from a car parked on Strathmore Gate Drive in Stony Brook.

Sound Beach slasher

Someone slashed the tires of a 2014 Hyundai Elantra that was parked outside a residence on Blue Point Road in Sound Beach on the night of March 2.

I will avenge you!

Around 11 p.m. on March 2, an unknown person damaged the rear window of a 2008 Dodge Avenger parked near Route 25A in Rocky Point.

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File photo

A dispatcher in training for the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services helped deliver a baby over the phone on Wednesday morning.

According to a press release from the FRES, a man who had been on the way to the hospital called 911 shortly before 10 a.m. to report that his wife was in labor but the baby’s delivery could not wait. He had pulled their vehicle to the side of Nesconset Highway in East Setauket, in front of the Walmart.

Dispatcher Joseph Pucci answered the call. FRES said he verified the couple’s location and that the woman was 36 weeks pregnant, about to deliver for the fourth time. He gave instructions to the 38-year-old woman’s husband, and the couple delivered a baby boy within three minutes.

Pucci, who FRES said has been training for the past five months, instructed the father on how to check the baby’s breathing, keep the infant warm and use a shoelace to tie off his umbilical cord. Then he stayed on the line until Suffolk County police and Setauket Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene.

According to FRES, both the mother and the baby seemed healthy and were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone commended the dispatcher-in-training for his work later on Wednesday.

“Thanks to the knowledgeable response from emergency service dispatcher Joseph Pucci, a baby boy was delivered safely this morning,” he said. “Good training and clear thinking helped this couple and their baby just as it was needed. Congratulations to this family on their newest arrival.”

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A plane that crash-landed in Hauppauge was still at the scene a few days later. Photo by Greg Pereira

By Phil Corso & Elana Glowatz

For the second time in the last couple of weeks, a plane with engine problems made an emergency landing on the North Shore.

The Suffolk County Police Department said a passenger plane flying into Republic Airport in Farmingdale on Saturday afternoon experienced engine failure while flying at 2,000 feet. The pilot, who was with his daughter and returning from visiting colleges, deployed the plane’s parachute at 1,500 feet before crash-landing at an industrial park in Hauppauge.

According to police, after the plane landed just feet from a building on Marcus Boulevard, the pilot pulled his passenger out of the plane. Police said both father and daughter refused medical attention.

The crash-landing happened exactly two weeks after another in Suffolk County, which occurred when a small plane carrying four people experienced engine trouble and went down in Setauket Harbor near Poquott. That incident did not end as safely.

The Piper PA-28, which had taken off from Fitchburg, Mass., and was heading for Republic Airport in Farmingdale, went down on the night of Feb. 20. All four people exited the plane into the water, police said, but only three were rescued. Authorities are still searching for the fourth passenger, 23-year-old Queens man Gerson Salmon-Negron.

The county police said its marine bureau has been out on the water daily, weather permitting, during daylight hours in search of the man both via the surface on boats and using side scan sonar to scan the floor of the water.

At the time the plane was having engine trouble, a student pilot identified as 25-year-old Bronx resident Austricio Ramirez was flying it and turned over the controls to his instructor, 36-year-old Queens resident Nelson Gomez.

Wady Perez, a 25-year-old from Queens, was identified as the other man rescued from the water that night.

Suffolk police were receiving help from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Coast Guard, local fire departments and the town harbormaster in the rescue, missing person search and investigation in that February incident.

In a report released this week, the NTSP said that aircraft reported low amounts of fuel and had been operated for about five hours since its tank was last filled. The report said the plane’s engine “sputtered” as it approached the Port Jefferson area, spurring the flight instructor to turn on the electric fuel pump and instructing his student pilot to switch the fuel selector to the plane’s left fuel tank as it flew at around 2,000 feet. The sputtering stopped, but started up again about three minutes later, the NTSB said, and then lost power.

That was when the pilot instructor took control of the plane and tried heading to the shoreline, where he believed the plane could safely land, the NTSB report said. But the pilot was unable to see the shoreline due to the darkness and could only guess where the shoreline began by the lights inside of nearby houses, the report said.

He held the plane off of the water for as long as he could before touching down and instructing everyone to grab a life vest and exit the plane, the NTSB said. Neither the student pilot nor the passengers, however, were wearing life vests when they exited the plane, the report said. Emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes and rescued three of the four men.

The airplane floated in the water for about five minutes before sinking nose-first to the bottom of the harbor, the NTSB said.

Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department plunge into Setauket Harbor after a plane crash-landed on Feb. 20. Photo from Margo Arceri
Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department plunge into Setauket Harbor after a plane crash-landed on Feb. 20. Photo from Margo Arceri

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Joseph Jones mugshot from SCPD

A Centereach man has been charged with second-degree murder, more than five years after his wife’s body was found in the woods near her home.

The Suffolk County Police Department announced on Friday that officers had arrested Joseph T. Jones, 33, in connection with Nicole Tessa’s December 2010 murder.

Tessa’s family had reported her missing on Dec. 19 that year, two days after the 31-year-old was last seen alive. Two days after that, police said at the time, police dog Blue and Canine Section officer John Mallia found Tessa’s body while searching a wooded area near her home on Prince Street in North Patchogue.

Attorney information for Jones, who lives near the border of Centereach and Selden, a few blocks from Newfield High School, was not immediately available. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Riverhead on Monday.

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