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Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct

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Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a Riverhead man and injured four people in Hauppauge early this morning.

Daneris Garcia Marquez was driving a 2011 Ford Econoline westbound on Route 347 when her vehicle collided with a 2019 Toyota Camry traveling northbound on Brooksite Drive, driven by Abhishek Mukherjee, at 1:35 a.m.

Brendan Haverty, 26, the passenger in the Toyota, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Mukherjee, 42, of Hicksville, and Marquez, 19, of Wyandanch, were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Two males in the van, ages 18 and 25, were also transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

The police are seeking a man who allegedly stole from a Commack Walmart. Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police 4th Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole items from a Commack store in March.

A man allegedly stole flashlights from Walmart, located at 85 Crooked Hill Road, March 11 at approximately 3:55 p.m. The man fled in a black Hyundai. The flashlights were valued at approximately $390.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

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The 4th Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department has partnered with the Town of Smithtown Horizons Counseling and Education Center and the Smithtown Youth Bureau to host the “Operation Medicine Cabinet” medicine take back event. This drive thru event will take place on Monday, February 8, from 10 am. to 1 p.m. in the back parking lot of the Town of Smithtown Horizons Center, located at 161 E. Main Street in Smithtown. This event will give residents an additional location to dispose of medication safely.

Residents are encouraged to bring any expired or unused medication in a Ziploc type bag to the Horizons Center for proper disposal by the Suffolk County Police Department. No syringes, auto-injectors, or liquids will be accepted. Safe disposal of medications helps to prevent both potential abuse and the environmental damage caused by medications in water systems.

Residents can additionally dispose of medication at all times at the Department of Public Safety, located at 65 Maple Avenue in Smithtown. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, please call the Department of Public Safety at 631-360-7553 prior to arriving in order to ensure availability.

Commanding Officer Michael Romagnoli, left, addresses members of the community at a meeting outside the 4th Precinct in Smithtown Sept 1. Fellow officer, Sgt. Thomas Healy, looks on. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

Inspector Michael Romagnoli, commanding officer of Suffolk County’s 4th Precinct in Hauppauge, presided over a community meeting outside the precinct Sept. 1, covering a wide array of topics relevant to businesses and residents within the area. It was the first such meeting since March.

The coronavirus pandemic has been a seemingly endless backdrop of everyday life, and has caused economic hardship, job losses and business closures across Suffolk County and elsewhere.  As these conditions inevitably lead to crime, Romagnoli has a simple piece of advice for the residents of Smithtown.

“Lock your doors,” he said, almost putting an exclamation point after each of these three small words. “Your cars, your side doors, your back doors, your shed and your garages — lock them all.”

This warning is in reference to the spate of attempted car break-ins and petty larcenies in the early morning hours of Aug. 26. However, he stressed that it would be a mistake to consider this a crime wave.

“There is no pattern that I can see here,” the inspector said. “These are just some people who are looking for opportunity. We are keeping a careful eye on it, but we need to see more than one occurrence to formulate a method of operation.”

He did acknowledge that cars and outdoor sheds were broken into on or near Harvard Avenue near Maple, and at least one generator was taken, along with various valuable power tools, video equipment and scooters.

“We are going to go through some of the Ring doorbell footage, and we strongly encourage anyone who has footage to contact us immediately,” Romagnoli said.

Contacting the police was another topic of conversation, which community liaison officer Sue Laveglia discussed with the audience of about 30 interested listeners, who were assembled outside the precinct, wearing masks and seated in a socially distant manner.

“With COVID-19 still a presence in our community, we encourage people to use [our] website to file a nonemergency police report,” Laveglia said. “We hope this encourages the reporting of incidents and at the same time limits officer and civilian exposure to the coronavirus.”

The link to making a police report online is: suffolkpd.org/onlinereporting.aspx. The officers ask that you review and adhere to the criteria listed before submitting a report.

Thirty-seven officers have required quarantine since the pandemic started, and one officer actually had three separate exposures. The precinct has taken ergonomic measures and provides masks and hand sanitizers in an effort to mitigate exposure.

Not wanting to play second fiddle to COVID-19, protest marches have been and still are on Romagnoli’s docket.  He has had to deploy manpower, manage morale and devise traffic-control procedures. It does not make it an easier task when many of these protests are a direct attack on, and call for reform on, his profession and the men and women he oversees.

“When I put on that uniform, I represent every person in this community,” he said. “Every one of my officers has sworn to uphold the constitution, and I try to stress that to them every day.  This job is not easy. We’re human and when people are yelling the most vile things about what they think of you, your profession and sometimes your family members, it’s difficult.  People are angry.  I get it.  My job is to turn down the temperature and train my officers to do this as well, despite what you hear.”

He had some simple strategies for doing this.

“Rotate officers back off the line when I sensed they’ve had enough that week,” he said.  “I strongly encourage them to take time off and always give them a good idea of what they are facing.”

Romagnoli estimated the number of protests to be in the 40s and counting, with over 5,000 people combined to have marched in the streets of Smithtown. This accounts for about 20-25% of the protest activity in the county, he said. The majority of these were focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, but some were abortion, Blue Lives Matter and reopen New York-related as well.

Other topics were discussed at the Sept. 1 meeting.

There have been 41 drug overdoses in July and August of this year in Smithtown compared to 20 for the same period last year. Year to date, there have been 135 overdoses and 27 drug-induced deaths.

Romagnoli was effusive in his praise for business’s overall compliance with COVID mask-wearing and distancing state mandates. The police have worked closely with the state police and the State Liquor Authority in the monitoring of restaurants and like establishments. While “a number” of warnings have been issued, there has yet to be a summons doled out.

Laveglia warned citizens of the preponderance of scams that are circulating, especially advertisements that claim to cure COVID-19. 

The Suffolk County Police Department as a whole is overwhelmed with gratitude by all the food and other donations it has received.  These donations are a show of support of police and other front-line workers in the face of all the dangers and pressures they have faced this year. Romagnoli was visibly emotional when he spoke of this community support.

He hopes to resume having these meetings on a more regular basis. They are held the first Tuesday of every month and there is expected to be one Oct. 6.

Anyone with information regarding a crime in their neighborhood, in addition to the website, can call 631-852-COPS. Also, as part of a collaboration with Ring, police can communicate with members of the public through Ring’s Neighbors app. The Neighbors app is a platform for members of the community to connect about incidents occurring in their neighborhoods and ask residents of specific areas if they have video that could potentially contain information useful in criminal investigations.

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Suffolk County Police arrested a man for allegedly making graffiti in Smithtown this morning.

Responding to a 911 call, a SCPD 4th Precinct patrol officer observed Anthony Garcia painting graffiti on a bus stop shelter, located on Nesconset Highway near Terry Road, at approximately 12:30 a.m. Recent graffiti was also observed on a second bus stop shelter nearby.

Garcia, 30, of Patchogue, was arrested and charged with making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments, both misdemeanors. He was issued a desk appearance ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip May 15.

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Suffolk County Police arrested a Selden teenager Aug. 11 following two car crashes, one which seriously injured a pedestrian. The teen was allegedly driving while intoxicated and left the scene of an accident.

Christina Burns, 17, slept at the home of Francis Rogalle, located on Ashford Drive in Bohemia, after attending a party at his residence the evening of Aug. 10. She left the home at approximately 6:50 a.m. Aug. 11 driving a 2005 Nissan Altima and, while traveling on Ashford Drive, left the roadway, struck a mailbox and drove across a lawn before allegedly striking Che Yeung, 80, of Bohemia, who was walking in the street. Burns fled the scene in her vehicle.

Approximately half an hour later, Burns was allegedly involved in a second crash at the intersection of Route 347 and Route 25 in Nesconset. SCPD 4th Precinct officers charged her with driving while intoxicated.

An investigation by 4th Precinct officers revealed that Burns’ vehicle had more damage than sustained in the Nesconset crash. Fifth Squad detectives were notified, and she was linked to the earlier incident. Burns was subsequently charged with leaving the scene of an accident with serious physical injury.

Yeung was transported to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where she is in critical condition.

Rogalle, 50, was charged with violating Suffolk County’s Social Host Law. Burns was held overnight at the 4th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Aug. 12.

Burns’ Nissan was impounded as evidence.

Teenagers across the North Shore have been seen playing chicken with motorists by cycling into oncoming traffic, popping wheelies in the middle of the road and more. Photo from SCPD

Motorists are discovering a new trend and distraction on local roads. Across the North Shore, teenagers on bicycles have been playing chicken with cars — pedaling into oncoming traffic, swerving their bikes close to vehicles and popping wheelies in the middle of the road. Sometimes they are in pairs and other times in groups of up to a couple dozen.

Children playing chicken with cars has become a hot topic in various Facebook community and parents groups. Members of the Smithtown Moms Facebook group have witnessed 20 children on bikes spreading out across Meadow Road in Kings Park, doing wheelies. In the Three Village area, junior high schoolers were seen cutting off cars at Bennetts Road and Route 25A and laughing about it.

Photo from SCPD

What police officers are doing about it

When it comes to the incidents, Suffolk County Police Department’s 4th Precinct is hoping to get ahead of potential injuries and fatalities in its community as well as the whole of Suffolk County. Officers have compiled a video with clips of teens creating havoc on streets such as Meadow Road in Kings Park, Commack Road near the entrance to Northern State Parkway in Commack and Lake Shore Drive in Lake Ronkonkoma. While the video includes clips from Smithtown, 4th Precinct officers said the cases can be used as examples at any precinct.

The purpose is to use the video to educate parents after officers stop a youth for reckless bicycling. In these circumstances, the law enforcers confiscate bikes and bring the teenagers to the precinct. Parents are then called, according to Deputy Inspector Mark Fisher. He said many ask why the police department is putting so much effort into the trend.

“The realities are it’s a tremendous danger,” Fisher said. “I would say it is as deadly as heroin. In some ways, on a particular day and time, because you are going in front of cars, and you are risking people-on-the-road’s lives. In a lot of ways, it’s a tremendously big deal, because if one 14-year-old gets killed or his life changes dramatically because he’s crippled for life. We want to avoid that.”

Commanding Officer Michael Romagnoli said it’s not a new problem, but the number of incidents has increased over recent months. The police department does not want to dissuade people from riding their bikes, he said, they just want them to do it safely.

“They’re going in front of traffic, trucks, cars. It’s like the thrill of being in that unsafe position that they’re looking for.”

— Captain Karen Kolsch

“We’re not against them riding their bikes,” Romagnoli said. “Bicycling is actually a great sport. I’m not even opposed to the stunts provided that they are not doing it in the middle of a highway or a road. It’s not the location to do that. They are subject to vehicle and traffic regulations.”

Romagnoli said many teenagers might not realize how dangerous it is.

“The control of the bicycle is the steering, the handlebars,” Romagnoli said. “Right now, they are relying on balance, and they are relying on a motorist not to hit them when they are doing that swerve. Because they can’t predict how the motorist is going to react to their actions.”

Captain Karen Kolsch agreed.

“They are not doing the stunts on the side of the road to see how long they can do a wheelie,” Kolsch said. “They’re going in front of traffic, trucks, cars. It’s like the thrill of being in that unsafe position that they’re looking for.”

The officers said the intent of the 4th Precinct’s video, compiled by Officer Kelly Neeb, is to provide an opportunity to educate parents on how dangerous the situations are instead of punishing the riders. In turn, they are hoping the video will create a conversation between parents and teenagers.

Just like many teens take to social media to post their stunts, Neeb takes to the same resources to see what the bicyclists are doing on roads and how parents are reacting to the tricks in Facebook groups. The officer even found one bicyclist post a flyer that was circulating on social media warning children and parents about the dangers. On the Instagram account 631vinny, the user posted about the flyer, “That’s funny. I can honestly care less.”

“To them, it’s a big joke,” Neeb said.

Recently, after the Meadow Road incident where the officers brought the group of bicyclists to the 4th Precinct, parents were upset at the officers when they first arrived to pick up their sons. Fisher said once they explained what the teenagers were doing on the roads, and they showed the parents the video, their anger subsided.

“The last thing we want to do is go to a home and tell their parents that your child was struck by a vehicle.”

— Commanding Officer Michael Romagnoli

 

What parents can do

The officers said parents need to sit down with their children and ask who they are spending time with and discuss the rules of the road. Bicycles are treated as vehicles, and their handlers must follow the same laws as cars and trucks.

“The last thing we want to do is go to a home and tell their parents that your child was struck by a vehicle,” Romagnoli said, adding an accident between a car and bicycle would be a tragedy to the motorist too.

Romagnoli said as the sun goes down it becomes difficult for drivers to see with little to no adequate lighting on many roads. Due to this, bicyclists need to have lights or reflectors on their bikes, so they can be seen. The commanding officer added that to compound the problem, many riders are not wearing helmets.

Fisher said parents should be aware that most rides start out harmless.

“A lot of this starts as a bike ride, and then it progresses to the stunts,” Fisher said. “They want to outdo each other. They have some games where they get points for certain stunts.”

Neeb also suggested that parents check their children’s social media activity from time to time since some post videos of their stunts or invitations to meet up. She said even conducting general research online can help parents educate themselves as to what is going on with young bicyclists. One YouTube account 631.BikeLife shows some of the stunts.

Kolsch said it’s understandable that parents are glad to see their teens outside doing something physical and may not realize what they are up to.

“A lot of this starts as a bike ride, and then it progresses to the stunts.”

— Deputy Inspector Mark Fisher

“They’re thinking they’re not sitting inside with the Xbox all day and so happy to see them doing something they think is good,” she said.

How motorists can be vigilant

The first step is for motorists to be aware that this is happening on local roadways, and the officers said drivers should treat reckless bicyclists as they would any other hazard in the road. Slow down, stop if you have to and let the hazard pass. They also said to call 911 and to be as descriptive as possible, including descriptions of bikers and bicycles, location, number of riders, if they were swerving, crossing double lines, standing on their bikes or anything else that will help officers.

Romagnoli suggested treating an incident with a reckless bicyclist the same as “following behind someone who may be an intoxicated driver.”

If pedestrians encounter problems with a bicyclist on a sidewalk or while they are crossing a road, they also should call 911.

Motorists should avoid altercations with the bicyclists, and if an accident occurs, especially when a rider has been hit, Kolsch said drivers involved should not leave the scene and make sure to get all witnesses’ contact information.

Anyone with information about such incidents also can call 631-852-COPS.

Spreading the word

In addition to the 4th Precinct officers open to sharing the video with other precincts, Fisher said they also are reaching out to school districts to see if they can show the video in schools to let parents know this is happening.

The officers said while there can be incidents where bicyclists can be brought up on charges or parents can be fined, depending on what transpired and the age of the teenager, they’re hoping to avoid such a situation with the educational video.

“We’re not looking to arrest people,” Kolsch said. “We’re looking to keep people safe.”