Drunk LI Driver Who Left Passenger To Die Adds Two Years To Prison Term With Witness Threat: DA
A Long Island man who fled a drunken crash that killed his passenger got an extra two years on his prison term Tuesday, Oct. 13 after threatening a witness, authorities said.
Elvin Maradiaga Ortiz, 35, of Hempstead, was sentenced to 21 years behind bars, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said. He was initially supposed to get 19 years as part of a plea deal, according to authorities.
However, Ortiz’s long list of crimes grew even further when he was charged with witness intimidation, which tacked on the extra two years, the DA’s office said.
Investigators said Ortiz threatened t…
Freeport Mom Drove Drunk With 10-Year-Old Daughter In Car: Police
A New York mother was arrested for allegedly driving drunk with her 10-year-old daughter in the car during a late-night traffic stop, police announced on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Zaneta Lachapelle, 43, of Freeport, Long Island, was arrested at approximately 10:10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers stopped a 2015 Nissan near the intersection of North Grove Street and Lena Avenue in Freeport for a vehicle and traffic law violation, police said.
Lachapelle was behind the wheel, and her 10-year-old daughter was a passenger, investigators said.
During …
Machete-Wielding Man Chases Victim, Robs Teen On Farmingdale Street: Police
A Long Island man chased a woman’s son down the street with a machete before robbing a 15-year-old boy in Farmingdale on Wednesday, Oct. 7, around 8 p.m., police said.
Saul Sanchez, 45, of Farmingdale, was arrested following the incident on Colombia Street, the Nassau County Police Department said.
The confrontation began earlier in the day when Sanchez got into an argument with a 36-year-old woman, pulled out a box cutter, and threatened her, police said. He then fled on foot, authorities said.
The woman asked her eldest son, 21, to help change the locks on the doors, investigators said. …
Bethpage Sex Offender Hit With 18 Charges After Cellphone Discovery At Probation Meeting: Cops
A registered sex offender on Long Island was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 6 on numerous child pornography charges, police said.
Steven Klauer, 26, of Bethpage, was cuffed following an investigation that stemmed from a regularly scheduled meeting with the Nassau County Probation Office, the county police department said.
Klauer met with probation officers on Tuesday, July 7 to fulfill his requirements as a level one sex offender in the state, Nassau County police said. At that meeting, investigators found a cellphone they believed Klauer to be using for “sexual purposes,” according to authorities.…
Fraud Protections Saved Roosevelt Disability Center From $1M Theft — FL Woman Stole $50K: Cops
A Florida woman tried to steal $1 million from a disability assistance center on Long Island, police said Monday, Oct. 5.
Nicole Ramirez, 28, of Orlando, only got about $50,000, the Nassau County Police Department said. She was arrested five months later, cops said.
The Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County was contacted May 5 by someone claiming to be a representative from M&T Bank, police said. The caller provided the necessary account information, according to investigators.
But eight days later, the Cerebral Palsy Association received a follow-up call from the actual M&T …
Woman Stabbed, 88-Year-Old Beaten With Cane During Elmont Attack, Police Say
Two women, including an 88-year-old, were hospitalized after an argument inside a Long Island home escalated into a stabbing and assault with a flower pot and cane, police said.
The violence unfolded at a residence on Empire Street in Elmont at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, according to Nassau County Police.
A verbal argument involving 31-year-old Faheem Winstead and the two women, ages 58 and 88, turned physical, detectives said.
Winstead stabbed the 58-year-old woman in the leg and struck her in the head with a flower pot, leaving her with a laceration, investigators said. He then br…
Long Island To Connecticut Ferry Trips Canceled Due To Coming Nor’easter
Several ferry trips between Long Island and Connecticut were already canceled Thursday, Sept. 24 ahead of the weekend’s impending storm.
The Cross Sound Ferry from New London, CT to Orient, NY cancelled departures at 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. from Connecticut, the service announced.
Additionally, trips scheduled to depart Orient at 8:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. were called off. However, other trips remained on the schedule, according to the ferry service.
Several…
Chemicals Sprayed At Valley Stream Family's July 4 BBQ Injures 7, Including Children: Police
Seven people, including children, were hospitalized after someone allegedly sprayed a chemical substance at a family's Fourth of July barbecue in Valley Stream, Nassau County Police said.
The incident happened during a neighbor dispute at a Cochran Place home around 8:14 p.m. on Friday, July 3, police said. Officers responding to the scene determined that Nicholas Stolz, 46, of Valley Stream, sprayed a chemical substance at the neighboring home while the family was holding a July 4 BBQ, according to detectives.
The seven victims were taken to local hospitals for evaluation and treatme…
Deadly Hit-And-Run Bike Crash Victim In Atlantic Beach Identified
The victim in a deadly hit-and-run bicycle crash on Long Island has been identified, police said Thursday, March 26.
Tony Thomas, a 59-year-old Far Rockaway resident, was killed in the wreck in Atlantic Beach on Tuesday, March 24, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Erin Henry, 67, was driving a 2019 Honda HR-V eastbound on Beech Street near the intersection with Scott Drive around 7:45 a.m. when she struck and killed Thomas, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Henry, of Long Beach, then fled the area but was tracked down and arrested later that day, authoritie…
Blakeman Launches Bid For NY Governor, Setting Up GOP Clash With Stefanik
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has officially launched his campaign for New York governor, setting up a high-profile Republican primary fight with Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Blakeman announced his run Tuesday, Dec. 9, releasing a campaign video and posting on X that he plans to “Put New York First” by focusing on public safety, taxes, and utility costs.
“Our state is struggling with high taxes, rising utility bills, and rising crime,” Blakeman wrote. “New Yorkers deserve a proven leader who will put New York first”
Blakeman pointed to his record as Nassau County executive, including keep…
Rockville Centre Man Dodged $600K In Workers’ Comp Premiums: DA
A construction company owner who underreported more than $3.5 million in payroll to dodge workers’ compensation premiums has been sentenced, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Mahendranauth Khargie, 36, and his Queens-based iron and erection company, GC Stud Inc., pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 to Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree, a felony. The company also pleaded guilty to failing to secure required workers’ compensation coverage, prosecutors said.
The pair were sentenced on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to a Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay $625,000 in…
Cold-Blooded Murder: Dad Shot 6 Times, Killed Outside Long Beach Housing Development
A Long Beach man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a father outside the Channel Park Homes, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced on Friday, Oct. 3.
Ronnie Sutton, 52, was convicted on Aug. 19, 2025, after a jury trial before Judge Robert Schwartz. He was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, an A-I felony, along with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a C violent felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a D felony.
On Friday, Sutton was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Prosecutors had recommended a t…
Long Beach Man Poses As Detective With Fake Shield Accosting People, Police Say
A Long Beach man is accused of impersonating a police detective after flashing a fraudulent shield in Freeport, Nassau County detectives announced on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Ariel Espinal, 35, of Shore Road, was arrested after officers approached a group of three people near Babylon Turnpike and Colonial Avenue on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 7:39 p.m., according to First Squad Detectives.
When police made contact, one man and a woman left the area, leaving Espinal behind, investigators said. Officers discovered he was carrying a City of Long Beach Police Detective’s shield and identification card.
…
Nassau Cop Stole $200K From Sick Colleague, Blew It On OnlyFans, Gambling: DA
A Nassau County police officer is accused of stealing $200,000 from a fellow officer recovering from illness and spending it on personal expenses.
Leonard Cagno, 39, of Oakdale, was arraigned on grand larceny charges in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Cagno, a Nassau County police officer and owner of BW Media Consulting, LLC, allegedly convinced another officer to invest $200,000 in his private company between February and June 2024, prosecutors said.
He allegedly claimed the money would be used as a business investment but instead spent the funds on personal expenses. …
Bar Patron Shot Security Guard, Paralyzing Him In Freeport, Jury Finds
A Hempstead man has been convicted of attempted murder for a 2023 shooting at a Freeport bar that left a security guard paralyzed and another man seriously injured.
A jury found Tiray Clemmons, 34, guilty on all counts Tuesday, Sept. 16, following a trial in Nassau County Court.
The shooting happened on July 15, 2023, outside Agua on the Mile after Clemmons was denied re-entry to the bar following an argument with management.
“Tiray Clemmons was furious that he had been thrown out of a Nautical Mile bar, and he wanted payback,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
He retu…
3 Admit Stealing Motorcycle, ATVs From Garage In Southeast: DA
Three men have pleaded guilty in connection with a 2024 burglary that left a Putnam County homeowner without several vehicles, prosecutors announced.
The defendants — Donovan Slater of Suffolk County, Percy Dickinson of Nassau County, and Roodler Pierre-Louis of Nassau County — admitted to attempted burglary in the second degree, a violent felony, in Putnam County Court, Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The case stems from an incident on April 22, 2024, when Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in Southeast after a …
Ex-Nassau Probation Officer Admits Sexual Relationship With Probationer, Falsifying Records
A former Nassau County probation officer admitted to falsifying records and engaging in a sexual relationship with a woman he was supervising.
Matthew Albertson, 43, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to offering a false instrument for filing, a felony, and official misconduct, in Nassau County Court on Monday, Sept. 8.
Albertson confessed to engaging in a sexual relationship with a female probationer between December 2021 and March 2022, including during a home visit, in violation of written Probation rules.
An attorney for the probationer reported the relationship in August 2023 and provided …
