It was a week of small-town drama across Southold — from a trespasser caught returning to a banned apartment in Greenport to a late-night carload of mischievous teens “messing around” on the beach in Mattituck. In Orient, political lawn signs vanished, while in Greenport, a shopkeeper found herself locked out of her own store over back rent. Police fielded calls about everything from an alleged DWI crash into a Cutchogue marsh to a squabble between a mother and a 13-year-old boy over thrown rocks. There was a “No Shellfishing” sign that didn’t apply to crabs, a stolen peacock-shaped lawn ornament and a lost traveler who woke up in Greenport after accidentally boarding the wrong bus.
On Oct. 1, Dianne Castaldi, 71, of Cutchogue, was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated after police received a report of a vehicle that had crashed into the marsh in front of a Skunk Lane residence in Cutchogue.
On Sept. 29, George Pope, 29, of Riverhead, was arrested and charged with trespassing after he was reported to be inside a North Street apartment from which he had been banned by a trespass order, according to a police report. He was processed at police headquarters and released.
That evening, police were called to Breakwater Beach in Mattituck for a report that a car had nearly struck someone. Upon arrival, it was determined that a 20-year-old Eatons Neck woman, with teens in her car from Greenport, Mattituck and Shirley, had been “messing around with other kids” by slowly following some of them at the beach. At one point, a Greenport teen threw a firecracker out the car window. The Eatons Neck woman’s car was located, and she and her friends were advised to go home.
On Sept. 30, a Main Road resident in Orient reported the disappearance of a dozen Democratic political signs from her lawn. There were no cameras in the area to document the incident, according to a police report.
On Sept. 30, police received a complaint from a Third Street merchant in Greenport who said her landlord had changed the locks on her store because she had fallen behind on rent. The merchant told police she owed the landlord about $110,000. Police advised her that the landlord is not authorized to change the locks without a court order. Police continued to try to reach the landlord, according to the report.
On Sept. 31, a South Street landlord reported that a “No Parking” sign in her parking lot had been damaged by unknown individuals.
On Oct. 1, police received a report of “multiple subjects smoking weed” at the Greenport firehouse on Third Street. A responding officer observed several individuals smoking cigarettes who refused to produce ID and said there was no problem. The group was advised to be mindful of children playing at the nearby playground.
On Oct. 1, Southold police were called to the town transfer station to conduct a breath test on a Department of Solid Waste employee involved in an accident. The test registered a blood alcohol level of 0.0, and no further action was taken. It is department policy to conduct a breath test whenever an employee is involved in an accident, according to the report.
Also on Oct. 1, two 13-year-olds from Southold broke a rear window at a residence on Mechanic Street. Police located the families, who agreed to pay for the repair.
Later on Oct. 1, police were called to a North Road apartment complex in Greenport West after a report that a 35-year-old woman had thrown a 13-year-old off his bicycle for allegedly throwing rocks at her young daughter. The woman acknowledged yelling at the boy but denied touching him. She told police her daughter came home “extremely upset” and said the boy had thrown rocks at her. Police separated the two parties and reported no signs of injury. The incident remains under investigation.
On Oct. 3, Gustavo Estrada-Ramirez, 51, with no known address, was arrested on Front Street in Greenport on an outstanding warrant.
On Oct. 3, Becker Agustin-Perez, 18, of Southold, was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated after police reportedly observed his car commit “multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.”
Also on Oct. 3, a 23-year-old Southold woman reported that the rear passenger window of her car was smashed while parked on Old Main Road.
On Oct. 4, an 81-year-old Laurel resident reported that a young woman in her late teens or early 20s stole a decorative rain gauge and a metal, solar-powered light shaped like a peacock. Police canvassed the area but were unable to locate anyone matching the description.
That same day, police received an anonymous report of people crabbing in the waters off New Suffolk Avenue in Cutchogue near a “No Shellfishing” sign. Police contacted the bay constable, who advised that crabs are not considered shellfish but are classified as crustaceans. No further action was taken.
Also on Oct. 4, police were called to a Silvermere Road motel in Greenport West for a report of a guest “abusing” the terms of his contract to stay at one of the beach houses on the property. The motel owner told police that only two people were permitted in the beach houses but that video showed 12 to 15 people “in the house in a party mood with alcohol.” According to a police report, the owner confronted the guest several times, and the pair eventually got into a “heated” argument in which the owner said, “I want you out of here and go fuck yourself.” A responding officer reported that the guest gathered his belongings and left.
On Oct. 5, a 38-year-old Levittown woman approached the Greenport firehouse on Third Street seeking police assistance. She told an interpreter that she mistakenly took a train from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma, then boarded a white bus, fell asleep and ended up in Greenport. She was escorted to police headquarters to await a train from Southold back to Ronkonkoma.
All individuals named in police reports are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges may be reduced, dismissed or result in an acquittal.
