A felony grand larceny arrest earlier this month capped a lengthy investigation by Southold detectives, as authorities brought charges against a former employee of a well-known Greenport eatery. From there, last week’s reports to police fanned out in every imaginable direction: $22,000 in cash gone missing from a bedroom closet in Southold, frantic moments on Front Street that ended without incident, an elderly resident who fell victim to a cruel gift card scam and smoke on Sound Avenue traced to a permit-free, wood pallet-fueled fire pit on a farm. In addition to multiple DWI arrests and a pair of late-night trespass arrests, Southold cops also successfully mediated a colorful landlord-tenant dispute sparked by an alleged seasoning salt attack on a bedspread and responded to a report of possible gunshots in Greenport.
Dec. 6 — Following what was described by police as a long-term larceny investigation, police arrested Ellen “Bunni” Buglione, 32, of Aquebogue, for felony grand larceny. “The defendant is accused of stealing funds from Ellen’s on Front … during her employment there,” according to a police report. Second degree larceny is charged when the value of the alleged stolen property exceeds $50,000. Fellow shopkeepers on Front Street said Buglione was a manager at the restaurant for several years but has not worked there for at least two years. Buglione is not the “Ellen” in the restaurant name. That Ellen is the mother of brother-and-sister business partners Andrew and chef Jennie Wertz. In a statement, Andrew Wertz said “thank you to [lead] Detective [Kenneth] Richert and the Southold Police Department. We’re ready to move on and get back to serving some of the best food on the North Fork, and we’ll have no other comment at this time.” The investigation was led by the Southold Police Department’s Detective Division, with assistance from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Reached Monday evening, Ms. Buglione directed a reporter to her attorney, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dec. 8 — Around noon, a Main Bayview Road resident arrived at police headquarters to report that “he put $22,000 in cash in his bedroom closet on Oct. 20, 2025, and checked on it today and noticed it missing,” according to a police report. The 66-year-old man reported that only his partner and his cleaning lady had been in the house since then. Detectives are investigating.
Around 5 p.m., police received a report of a woman screaming on Front Street in Greenport, with a male subject following her. Police located and interviewed the pair, both from Greenport and both in their 20s. The man told police that his girlfriend had lost her wallet and panicked — prompting her to scream — but that he had located the wallet by the time they arrived. No further action was taken, according to a police report.
Around 6 p.m., an 85-year-old Cutchogue woman reported being the victim of a scam. Someone had contacted her by phone, claiming to be from “Apple support,” and convinced her to go to a nearby CVS pharmacy, purchase $500 worth of Apple gift cards, and read off the bar codes on the back of the cards. After doing this, the caller urged her to purchase more Apple gift cards — at which point a pharmacy employee recognized the situation as a scam in progress and advised her to call police. The victim was advised to monitor her accounts for fraudulent activity.
Around 8:30 p.m., police and Mattituck firefighters were called to Sound Avenue in Mattituck to investigate a column of black smoke in the area. First responders tracked the smoke column to a Sound Avenue farm. Near the rear of the property, a Southold man was burning wooden pallets in a fire pit. In response to an inquiry, the man said he did not have a permit for an open burn. He was advised by the Southold town fire marshal to obtain a permit and to contact the fire marshal’s office, Southold police and the Mattituck Fire Department prior to starting any additional open burns on the property. The man was given a warning and allowed to finish burning the pallets.
Dec. 9 — Around 3 p.m., a Mattituck man reported a dispute with his landlord involving seasoning salt. The tenant said he had been paying $1,200 a month, utilities included, to rent a room in the home of his landlord, who also lives in the home with her young child, according to a police report. Recently, the tenant told police, his landlord poured what appeared to be seasoning salt on his bed and bedroom floor — an allegation the landlord later denied. While the tenant was scheduled to leave by the first of next month, he wanted to leave by Friday, Dec. 12, “due to other issues he has had with” the landlord. He told authorities she had “gone back on her word” of utilities being included and now wanted him to pay half the heating bill.
“At some point,” according to the report, landlord and tenant had agreed that if he left sooner than Jan. 1, she would refund him $1,735. The tenant admitted he had told his landlord that if she wanted to keep $200 of his security deposit for the heating bill, that would be acceptable — but later changed his mind and felt he should not have to pay part of the heating bill. Shortly after the tenant arrived at police headquarters, the landlord also arrived. She denied pouring seasoning salt on his bed and insisted the tenant “should pay the $200 because he raises the thermostat and causes unnecessary noise and makes her and her child uncomfortable.” A Southold police officer ably mediated the dispute, and both parties ultimately agreed that the landlord would pay the tenant $1,750 if he moved out by Dec. 12. Both were advised to have an officer present when the tenant returns to collect his belongings.
Dec. 10 — Around 12:30 a.m., police received a report of two people entering an apartment on North Street in Greenport through a window. Responding officers located Stanley Lawrence, 57, and Gabriella Pope, 28 — both of Greenport — inside the apartment and arrested them, charging each with criminal trespass, according to a police report. Due to Lawrence’s warrant history, he was transported to police headquarters for processing, while Pope was released on an appearance ticket.
Around 5:30 p.m., police received a report of a woman “passed out behind the wheel” of a vehicle in the King Kullen parking lot in Cutchogue. The Mattituck woman was identified and told police she had fallen asleep. According to a police report, she “appeared to be in an altered mental state” but exhibited “no signs of alcohol or drug impairment.” Police contacted the woman’s husband, who was out of state, and who told them his wife has a sleeping disorder and “often goes without sleep for several days and then eventually goes to sleep randomly.” Based “on the nature of the incident,” police secured the car and escorted the woman home.
Shortly before 9 p.m., police responded to the Greenport ferry dock for a report of an unwanted person in a bathroom. Ramon Rodriguez, 41, with no known address, was arrested for criminal trespass, after having been previously served with a notice of trespass for allegedly loitering in the bathroom in April. Rodriguez was transported to police headquarters for processing, released on an appearance ticket and escorted to a nearby shelter.
Dec. 11 — Around 1:30 a.m., police received a report of a vehicle failing to maintain its lane while traveling eastbound on Route 25. Police located the vehicle, parked, near Main Road and Bridge Lane in Peconic. Police arrested driver Meyling Contreras, 41, of Greenport West, for alleged driving while intoxicated, according to a police report, which noted the subject’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” her breath smelled of alcohol, and she allegedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
Around 8 p.m., Karla Hernandez, 30, of Greenport West, was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated following an accident in which she crashed into a tree near North Road and Chapel Lane, according to a police report. A responding officer found Hernandez standing outside her running vehicle, “hysterical and uncooperative,” though admitting to police, “I crashed the car,” according to the report, which said she refused “all standardized field sobriety tests.” Observed by police to have “bloodshot and glassy eyes,” be “unsteady on her feet,” and smell of alcohol, Hernandez was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing. The Greenport Fire Department also responded to the scene, but the driver reported no injuries.
Dec. 14 — Around 9:30 a.m., police received an anonymous report from a man claiming to have heard gunshots near Sage Boulevard in Greenport. Responding officers canvassed the area but did not observe any people or vehicles, according to a police report.
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.
