Crimes Nearby: DWI, Burglary, Assault

Riverhead

A fire Saturday in an unoccupied building on Route 104 in Riverside may be the result of arson, according to a report from Southampton Town Police.

At around 6 a.m. Saturday, an employee of Marta’s Deli on Riverleigh Avenue in Riverside spotted smoke coming out of the building, which has no electricity, according to town police documentation.

Police investigation showed that the building had been broken into from the rear door, according to documents. Inside, it appeared that someone had started a fire with an accelerant on a cloth chair.

In addition to town police, the and Southampton Town fire marshals responded to the scene. They plan to continue the investigation.

Pedestrian Killed

A 40-year-old man was killed Sunday by being struck by a vehicle on Route 24, according to Southampton Town Police.

The victim was struck on the northbound side of the road near the Suffolk County Credit Union, police said in a statement. He was transported to and was identified.

Riverhead Patch has not released the identity of the man, as police said his next of kin have yet to be notified.

Detectives are still investigating the case and could not be reached for comment.

Assault

Southampton Town Police charged two Flanders men with felony assault after an alleged bar fight at the Cubana Latina in Flanders sent an Amagansett man to the hospital on Sept. 10.

Police said Evilio Velasquez-Nij, 22, andGerardo Velasquez, 27, both of Flanders, struck Enrique Monje-Pucha, 22 of Amagansett, in the head with a bottle and beat him while he was on the ground. Police arrived at the scene at about 6:30 p.m. and arrested the Velasquez brothers.

Evilio was charged with felony second-degree assault and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. His brother Gerardo was charged with felony second-degree assault. They were held overnight for arraignment.

The victim was transported to to receive treatment for his injuries. While there, police said Monje-Pucha gave them a false name and date of birth while being interviewed. Monje-Pucha was arrested and charged with false personation and second degree obstructing governmental administration, both misdemeanors. He was released on $500 bail.

Criminal Obstruction of Breath

Rodney Riddick, 32, of Riverhead, was arrested on Aug. 31 and charged with criminal obstruction of breath or blood circulation in regards to an incident on Aug. 29. Police said Riddick was involved in a domestic dispute, when choked the female victim and punched her in the face. Riddick then allegedly threw a telephone at the victim after she attempted to call police, according to police reports. By the time police arrived at the location on Aug. 29, Riddick had left the premises. Riddick was arrested two days later. He was transported to police headquarters and released on his own recognizance.

Miller Place-Rocky Point

Paul Corpas-Reyes, 23, of Sound Beach was arrested and charged with DWI as the alleged drunken driver of a small sedan involved in a two-car crash early Tuesday morning. Two passengers were seriously injured in the crash.

Nicholas Salerno, 21, of Rocky Point was arrested Sept. 5 in Setauket and charged with first offense DWI. Reports indicate Salerno was arrested for allegedly operating a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee at Route 347 and Route 25A while intoxicated. The incident occurred at approximately 2:07 a.m.  

Michael McDonald, 29, of Rocky Point was arrested Sept. 5 in Mastic Beach and charged with petty larceny. Reports indicate McDonald was arrested for the alleged video camera theft from at 8 Broadway in Rocky Point on June 22.

Westhampton-Hampton Bays

Southampton Town Police arrested a Hampton Bays woman and East Quogue man after a bottled water heist last week at a local beverage distributor, according to police. An employee of Hampton Beverage Center on Wednesday, September 7 saw a man and woman go into the shop’s basement at around 2:45 p.m., throw water jugs into the bed of a pickup truck and then drive away. After a brief investigation, police arrested Lauren Lubrano, 27, and Steven Jurgens, 31, and charged each with third-degree burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

A highly intoxicated Hispanic male, covered in blood and suffering from unknown injuries, was found stumbling along Montauk Highway near its intersection with South Country Road in Quiogue Sunday evening at around 11:39 a.m., according Westhampton Beach Village Police, who responded to a call for help from Southampton Town Police. The unidentified man was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center by the volunteer ambulance from East Quogue. No arrests have been made.

Benito Rojas, 22, of Hampton Bays was arrested Saturday at 8:09 p.m. at the corner of Longview and Peconic roads in Southampton and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, and open container, a violation. Police said Rojas was stopped for driving 15 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone when they discovered he was intoxicated.

Southampton

Christopher Mcerlean, 28, of Sag Harbor was arrested Friday at 9 a.m. on Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton and charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and resisting arrest and criminal obstruction of breath or breathing, both misdemeanors. At a job site in Bridgehampton, Mcerlean choked a family member until his co-workers pulled him away, police said. Police declined to share more information because the incident was a domestic dispute.

East Hampton

A 47-year-old Springs man is being held on $20,000 bail after a juvenile told police he indecently exposed himself and showed the child pornographic movie.

Jorge A. Masis-Diaz was arrested on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, on Friday, East Hampton Town police said.

Masis-Diaz reportedly exposed his penis to the child and put on the movie on Aug. 24 and Aug. 31, according to his arrest report.

The alleged victim is less than 17 years old. Masis-Diaz's arrest report did not indicate the victim's exact age or the relation between the defendant and the victim.

He was arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court on Saturday and held in lieu of bail.