Southold police had their hands full this week with everything from fraud to a fence-busting hit-and-run in Laurel. A Mattituck senior discovered seven bogus checks in her name, a pricey camera went missing off a Greenport stoop, and one Uber Eats driver thought someone tried to torch his car — though it turns out he was the unwitting culprit. In Greenport, one man managed two run-ins with cops in a single day, allegedly thanks to booze — but agreed to get help, marking the second time in two months that town police have convinced a person apparently struggling with substance abuse to get help. Meanwhile, in Southold, a homeowner’s polite honk was met with a middle finger. Add in a a parade of DWI arrests — including two pole-vs.-car crashes — and you’ve got another lively week for Southold’s Finest.
On Sept. 15, a Mattituck senior reported to police that seven fraudulent personal checks were made out of to six people without her permission. Detectives were notified and the woman was provided with identity theft paperwork to fill out.
On Sept. 15, Southampton police sought the assistance of Southold police in tracking down a 21-year-old Southold woman who was the subject of unspecified threats. Southold police made contact with the woman, who said she was okay and would be returning home.
On Sept. 15, an Uber Eats driver contacted police to say that someone had apparently tried to set his car on fire. The Lake Grove driver, 37, told police he had taken a break from deliveries and spent about 45 minutes looking at statues in Sterling Cemetery in Greenport. When he returned to his car, he smelled something burning and found burn marks on the passenger seat of his vehicle. An investigating officer determined that the burn marks were caused by a glass jar on the passenger seat, sitting in direct sunlight. The driver was advised not to leave glass jars in direct sunlight with flammable materials under them.
On Sept. 16, police responded to a report of an intoxicated individual passed out on 2nd St. in Greenport. A responding officer found Julio Garcia, 38, of Greenport, with an open container of alcohol and issued him a ticket for a code violation. About an hour later, police were called to a Greenport supermarket for a report of an intoxicated person — which turned out to be Garcia, according to police — causing a disturbance while trying to buy alcohol. Police located Garcia and offered to transport him to a nearby hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. He accepted and was transported to the hospital.
On Sept. 16, a Greenport woman told police that an Amazon package containing a $950 camera was apparently stolen from the front of a business on Carpenter St. When she failed to receive her package, the woman contacted Amazon, which said the package was delivered on June 16. The woman told police she has no idea who took the package.
On Sept. 16, a Southold woman reported returning home to her Soundview Ave. residence to find a car parked partially on her front lawn, and a man inside on his phone. The homeowner “gently hit her horn” to get the man’s attention and asked why he was parked there. She said the man “gave her the middle finger” and told her “it’s none of your business.” By the time police arrived, the man had left the area. Attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful, according to a police report.
On Sept. 16, Elder Miguel Miguel, 33, of Riverside was arrested and charged with alleged driving while intoxicated, after police received a call from a Southold couple who said that the gray Toyota pickup that Miguel Miguel was driving had been following them. When police arrived at their location at a gas station on Middle Road in Peconic, they pointed to the gray pickup, which was allegedly driven by Miguel Miguel — who was determined to be intoxicated, according to police, and arrested.
On Sept. 17, William Pastern, 59, of Taylor, Michigan, was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated following a police stop in Greenport. According to a police report, Southold dispatchers received a call of a couple arguing, soon after midnight, on Maple St. Responding officers located two people in a car matching the description provided by the caller. As police pulled up, according to a report, Pastern attempted to pull out of a parking space. Police ordered him to get out of the car, after which it was determined that he intoxicated, and he was arrested.
On Sept. 17, police arrested Anthony Fabozzzi, 24, of Lindenhurst on an unspecified outstanding warrant, according to a police report.
On Sept. 20, Jose Gonzalez Fuentes, 39, of Jamesport was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated, after the car he was driving allegedly struck a utility pole, according to a police report.
On Sept. 20, Anthony Vaudo, 53, of Cutchogue was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated, after what police described in a report as a “car vs. pole motor vehicle accident.”
On Sept. 20, a Laurel resident reported that a car had struck his fence and fled the area. According to a police report, the unknown vehicle — which police believe could possibly be a gray Toyota or Lexus — made a northbound turn at the corner of Peconic Bay Blvd. and Laurel Lane, left the roadway, struck the fence, and fled the area. A responding officer found “numerous vehicle parts” in the road and the damaged fence. An investigation is ongoing.
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.