Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating after human remains were found on
a beach in Shirley on Dec. 23.
A man and a woman found were walking on the beach at Smith Point County Park in Shirley when they found what appeared to be a human jawbone. They brought the remains to a park attendant working at the beach. Suffolk County Police were called at approximately 4:55 p.m. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined the remains are human and belonging to a male. The remains were transported to Medical Examiner’s office for positive identification.
Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a man who was pulled unresponsive from the water in Shirley on Aug. 11.
A Suffolk County Park Ranger was patrolling on Outer Beach in Smith Point County Park when he was notified that a man was in distress in the water at approximately 12 p.m. The officer and a good Samaritan immediately attempted to reach the man using a life ring, but he was located unresponsive by Suffolk County lifeguards on jet skis. He was pulled to shore where CPR was initiated.
The man, Vincent Nespoli, 70, of Ronkonkoma, was transported via ambulance to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852- 6392.
The Suffolk County Police Department is advising of road closures and restricted beach access in
Shirley on August 4 due to the Smith Point Triathlon.
Both directions of William Floyd Parkway between Robinwood Drive and Smith Point County Park will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area.
Additionally, Smith Point County Park will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. There will be no public access during these times. The closure includes all public access to the beach, outer beach, and campgrounds.
Update on July 15: The man who was pulled from the water on July 14 and died in apparent drowning at Outer Beach at Smith Point County Park has been identified as Michael Petruzzo, 64, undomiciled.
Below is the original press release:
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a man who was pulled from the water in Shirley on July 14.
Seventh Precinct officers responded to Outer Beach at Smith Point County Park at approximately 3:55 p.m. after good Samaritans pulled an unresponsive man from the water. The man was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead. The man, who is believed to have drowned, has not yet been identified.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-
6392.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Westbury woman who drove into the race route during a triathlon and struck a bicyclist, seriously injuring him, on Aug. 6.
Ramona Jakeline Figueroa-Lopez was driving a 2023 Nissan SUV eastbound attempting to leave the parking lot of Smith Point County Park while the area was closed to traffic for the Smith Point Triathlon. The vehicle entered into the race route and struck a triathlete during the bicycle portion of the race at 7:15 a.m.
The bicyclist, a 43-year-old Selden man, was taken via Suffolk County Police medevac to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious physical injuries. Figueroa-Lopez was not injured. An adult female passenger in the car had minor injuries.
Figueroa-Lopez, 29, was charged with Reckless Driving, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and Driving without a Court Ordered Interlock Device, all misdemeanors.
The Nissan was impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.
The sand tiger shark, pictured above, is one of several shark species that inhabit the surrounding waters of Long Island. Photo by Christopher Mark from Wikimedia Commons
Last week’s Fourth of July celebrations brought fireworks, family gatherings, barbecues and interactions between people and sharks.
Independence Day has increased the number of brushes between these apex predators and humans over the last two years, particularly as people head to the beach in larger numbers around the holiday.
Christoper Paparo, Southampton Marine Science Center manager at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. File photo
Sharks go “wherever there’s salt water” and they often follow bunker fish, which can come closer to shore, said Christoper Paparo, Southampton Marine Science Center manager at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. People encounter sharks around Independence Day because “there are more people around state parks on the Fourth of July weekend.”
Despite potential hysteria and concern about the dangers posed by sharks, most of the encounters around Long Island are “minor” and “not life threatening,” Paparo added.
The waters in the area are a nursery for many species of fish, including sharks. Young sea turtles, dolphins and whales also live along the more protected shoreline.
In recent weeks, five people have reported shark bites along the South Shore. In one incident, a shark bit a 15-year-old boy on the heel and toes. He was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Also last week, a 15-year-old girl was injured with puncture wounds from an unknown source at Robert State Moses Park.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, at podium, urged residents to take protective measures to minimize the risk of shark encounters. Photo from Bellone’s Flickr page
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) recently announced that the county would step up its surveillance efforts, adding two high-tech drones at the ocean beaches.
“Shark bites and shark incidents are something that we’re going to have to be addressing on a more regular basis,” Bellone said at a press conference at Smith Point County Beach announcing the new measures. “It’s simply going to be a part of the routine of what we do out here every day in terms of the monitoring that our ocean lifeguards do.”
Surveillance teams go out on wave runners and paddle boards, while lifeguards also use binoculars to watch over swimming areas.
The county will train lifeguards as drone operators.
“This is not a simple thing,” Bellone said. “This is something that requires skill and expertise.”
As county beaches await the arrival of these new drones, the beaches have area fire and rescue available to respond to any needs.
“Our goal here is first and foremost to keep residents safe,” Bellone added, “and to provide a sense of reassurance and comfort, knowing that when you come to the beaches, we have every tool at our disposal ready to assist.”
New surveillance drones, pictured above, will help the county government monitor shark activity along its beaches. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page
Protective measures
Bellone urged the public to take measures to minimize the risk of shark encounters.
The county executive advised people not to swim at dawn or dusk when sharks might be feeding. He also cautioned against swimming toward schools of fish, which might attract sharks who can’t differentiate between a fish and a person swimming.
“Always swim in a lifeguard-protected area,” he added. “Don’t swim when lifeguards are not on duty.”
People who paddle board, kayak or surf should go out in groups.
The sharks in the area are a reflection of a healthy ecosystem, Paparo indicated.
“You need everything below [a shark] to support it,” he said. “If there are no fish or the water is polluted, you won’t see sharks.”
Sharks rely on other senses besides eyesight to find their prey. A swimmer in murky waters can send the same type of electromagnetic signal a shark picks up from a school of fish on the surface of the water.
The sharks “hone in” on the similar sounds, Paparo added.
Paparo also suggested people should avoid swimming near seals, which are prey for great white sharks. That’s not often a problem around Long Island as seals are more prevalent in Massachusetts.
Taking measures like avoiding swimming in murky waters will “increase the odds of not encountering them,” Paparo said.
A range of sharks swim around the waters of Long Island and can include sand tigers, dusky and sandbar sharks.
“We do have mako, blue, thresher, southern, black tip, spinner, scalloped hammerhead and smooth hammerhead,” Paparo said.
Paparo added that the numbers of bites this year — five so far — are still infrequent, especially compared with injuries people sustain in car accidents or other activities.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are conducting an investigation after human remains were found on the beach at Smith Point County Park in Shirley on March 6.
Smith Point County Park employees called 911 at 1:35 p.m. after a woman reported to them she had
located what appeared to be a human bone. Police responded and located the bone in the sand. The remains were taken to the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner for autopsy to determine
the cause of death and to make an identification.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Squad detectives at 631-852-6392.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the apparent drowning death of a man who was reported missing on Nov. 18 and located off of Smith Point County Park on Nov. 30. Pierre Morris, an employee of H&L Contracting of Hauppauge, was working on a boat at Smith Point Marina when he is believed to have gone overboard on Nov. 18 and was reported missing by a coworker at approximately 3:20 p.m. that day.
Marine Bureau officers were called to Smith Point County Park at approximately 11:40 a.m. on Nov. 30 after a man, who has been positively identified as Morris, was found unresponsive off East Concourse. Morris, 45, of Far Rockaway, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
Lifeguards to Stay on the Stands for an Additional Two Weekends
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced an extended summer season at Smith Point County Park. While Suffolk County beaches are not typically staffed with lifeguards post Labor Day, this year lifeguards will stay on the stands for an additional two weekends to ensure the safety of beachgoers.
Suffolk County beaches and parks provide cherished memories and experiences every summer for both our residents and the countless visitors who flock to our word-class shorelines. This year, more than 300,000 people visited Smith Point County Park.
“While Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer, in Suffolk summer is not over, and the joy that summer brings will continue to brighten our days,” said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. “Lifeguards will remain on the stands for an additional two weekends, and I encourage all residents to take advantage of our world-class beaches while the warm weather is still with us.”
“Keeping Suffolk County residents safe while they use our beaches has always been a priority and we’re happy to extend the Smith Point beach season this year,” said Suffolk County Parks Commissioner Jason Smagin.
Lifeguards will remain on the stands from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday, September 10th, Sunday, September 11th, Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th at Smith Point County Park.
Additionally, Suffolk County campgrounds, parks and outer beaches will continue to welcome campers and park goers beyond the holiday weekend.
Mark your calendars! The New York Marine Rescue Center will host the following beach cleanups for the summer. Join them in their effort to eradicate marine debris from our local beaches and help save our wildlife.
Cleanup’s at the following locations will take place on Sunday’s from 6 to 8pm.: Cedar Beach, 244 Harbor Beach Road, Mount Sinai on July 10, Aug. 7 and Sept. 18; Crab Meadow Beach, Waterside Avenue, Fort Salonga on July 24, Aug. 21 and Sept. 25; and FINS at Smith Point County Park, 1 William Floyd Parkway, Shirley on July 24, Aug. 21 and Sept. 25.
To participate in one of these cleanup’s, call 631-369-9840 or visit www.nymarinerescue.org.
