Results tagged “nassaucounty”

Whoa: The Hofstra student who claimed five men had gang raped her in a dormitory bathroom stall—resulting in four suspects being arrested and a manhunt for the fifth—apparently lied about the story. Newsday reports, "After hearing the news, prosecutors convened a late night court hearing at First District Court in Hempstead where Judge Robert Bruno signed an order dismissing the charges against the four men in the case."

Newsday reports that Nassau District Judge Rhonda Fischer reiterated that "she will permit a defense expert witness, a psychiatrist, to testify at trial that a withdrawal from Zoloft, a widely prescribed antidepressant, could cause a person to become hostile and aggressive." On trial is Brandon Hampson, whose defense attorney says his client's Zoloft withdrawal was a "contributing factor—if not directly responsible" for his actions. Hampson allegedly tackled and then kicked his then-girlfriend in the head, face and back two years ago; defense attorney Eric Bernstein said, "This is not a joke or gimmick-type defense. This is very serious, very legitimate and is going to get a lot of traction. You're going to be seeing more of this, because it's real." (Hampson was convicted of assaulting another former girlfriend in 1995 and prosecutors say there's no evidence of him taking Zoloft back then.) The prosecution, which objected to allowing the Zoloft defense and the defense witness supporting it, has a Massachusetts psychiatrist ready to testify that the drug doesn't cause violence—and Zoloft maker Pfizer is paying the doctor $7,500 a day to testify.

Now that a Long Island Rail Road engineer and passenger have been charged with reckless endangerment—the passenger, a court stenographer (pictured), was allegedly allowed to drive a 500-ton train 25 miles—Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice is turning her attention to basic LIRR matters. Newsday reports that Rice's suggestions for the LIRR include "Improving event recorders - or 'black boxes' - on trains to make them record data about the use of the 'dead man pedal,' which must be constantly compressed for the train to operate; installing video and audio recording devices in the engineer's cab; and requiring engineers to wear identification badges and uniforms while on duty." Yes, LIRR engineers are not required to wear uniforms, though conductors and ticket takers are. Rice explains that uniforms "will enable the general public to quickly identify them, particularly when an emergency arises, or when there is some question about their conduct." The LIRR, which is reviewing the suggestions, says that the uniform issue will have to be taken up in collective bargaining with the engineers' union.

Nassau County police and prosecutor offered grim details behind a 24-year-old woman's abandonment of her days old baby. According to Newsday, Xiomara Gamez "has six other children, ages 8 and younger, and admitted to being addicted to cocaine during her latest pregnancy." Detective Lt. Ray Cote said that Gamez gave birth to the baby girl in the basement of an abandoned building, cared for her for two days, and then decided to leave the baby—wrapped in a blanket and tucked into a shoebox— in a Hempstead apartment building because she knew other Hispanic families lived there. He added, "She was down on her luck. She supported herself by selling herself." A relative called the police with a tip about Gamez, an illegal immigrant, who previously worked in a factory; her lawyer said the other children with her with ex-husband. A judge ordered her held on $250,000 cash bail/$500,000 bond on "first-degree reckless endangerment, abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child."

Nassau County police have found the mother of the baby abandoned in a Hempstead building lobby; Newsday reports the police arrested Xiomara Gamez, 25, "on charges of reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and abandonment of a child." The baby girl was found by a building resident on Sunday night and appeared to be less than a day old. She was wrapped in a blanket and left in a Timberland shoebox, with dental floss tied around her umbilical cord. Gamez will be arraigned today. NY State does have a Safe Haven law that allows parents of unwanted babies to leave them in safe places; safe havens are hospitals, police stations and firehouses.

On Sunday night, a man returning to his Hempstead, Long Island apartment building found a newborn baby in the lobby. According to Newsday, the baby was swaddled in a blanket and left in a shoebox, "She appeared to be less than a day old, police said, her umbilical cord tied off with dental floss, her skin light in color." A building resident said, "She was big and full, with chubby cheeks. Poor thing, she didn't have a diaper and she was all wet." Nassau County Det. Lt. Raymond Cote said, "We'd like to reach out to [the mother] and find out her motive, what the problem was that caused her to take such a drastic action to abandon her young child in the doorway of an apartment building at night." While the mother will face child abandonment charges, a police technician told the Daily News, "She must have been concerned about this child. [The baby] was left to be found. She was prepared properly." NY State has a Safe Haven law which allows parents of unwanted newborns to leave babies at safe places, such as hospitals, police stations and firehouses, without facing prosecution.

While Governor Paterson's obesity tax bellyflopped, Nassau County is taking a cue from it. With falling county revenue, county officials included a 2% tax on fast food items as part of its budget—it could bring in more than $11 million. While Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi would rather have a cigarette tax first, he told Newsday, "In the best of all possible worlds it's better to try to discourage unhealthy behavior instead of relying on property taxes. We're just trying to figure out the way to solve the problems without wrecking the county and without raising property taxes." But his office hasn't considered whether healthy food sold at fast food chains would be taxed. A Dunkin' Brands spokesperson said, "We understand that many state and local governments are facing budget deficits due to the tough economic environment, but imposing taxes on consumers and small-business owners is not the way to solve these problems." The State Legislature would have to approve the budget.

Nassau Police Commissioner Lawrence told reporters his officers "will be out in full force" this holiday weekend, monitoring for intoxicated drivers on the road. According to Newsday, "the summer stretch between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays" is referred to as the year's "hundred deadliest days" by police. Last Memorial Day weekend, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi posted the names, photos and addresses of anyone arrested for DWI on a "Wall of Shame" after a police officer was critically injured by a drunk driver. The wall has been somewhat modified, with only convicted drivers' information and photos posted. Suozzi said drunk driving-related deaths had decreased recently—17 in 2007, 13 in 2008—and called 2009's two fatalities a "completely unacceptable number."

A 34-year-old man was killed after a road rage confrontation in Long Beach that saw the 22-year-old driver of the other vehicle strike the victim with his Nissan Altima and continue driving right over him before fleeing the scene. Evan Potts was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter after onlookers say he panicked when the driver of a '78 canary yellow Porsche got out of his car and began yelling at Potts after the two had been in an ongoing confrontation behind their respective wheels for over a mile. Nassau County Police spokesman Kevin Smith said, "We believe he extended his arms and said something to him. We believe it was a profanity. We don't know the exact phrase that was used, but at that time the driver stepped on the gas, struck him, might have dragged him for a short period of time." A witness described it, "He went right over him like he was a cat in the road...I heard his head rattling in the undercarriage." Potts claims that he was trying to get away fro the driver for five minutes and had been attempting to call 911.

A suspect was injured in an overnight shootout with police during a high-speed chase that ended in the St. Albans section of Queens. Around 3:30 a.m., Nassau County police began pursuit of the green van that matched the description of the getaway car from a home invasion robbery reported while it was in progress in Elmont, Long Island. Suspects fired at police and twice hit the cop car, but neither officer inside was wounded. A police official told the News, "Shots started to come out of the van toward our officers. There were exchanges over possibly two miles." Soon after crossing the border into Queens, the van was sidelined with a blowout, leading police apprehending four suspects, one of whom has been shot in the arm in the crossfire. Inside the van, cops found a semiautomatic rifle and a revolver. Two other cops were injured in an accident while responding to the scene. None of the reported injuries were life-threatening.

The fire in a Lawrence apartment building that claimed the lives of a mother and three of her children has been called "suspicious" by Nassau County officials. Newsday reports that "natural and accidental causes for the fire have been ruled out, and that agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would be assisting the police department's arson/bomb squad and homicide squad in the investigation."

In December, a 44-year-old Long Island woman was found in the backseat of a SUV with a 13-year-old boy—police said both were "unclothed" from the waist down in the vehicle, which was parked outside the Baldwin Middle School where the boy attends and the woman is VP of the PTA. Now Newsday reports the Nassau County DA wants Joan Tuckruskye's DNA, "after they found a woman's saliva on the body and clothing of" the boy. However, Tuckruskye's lawyer Brian Griffin is trying to block the demand, "We have a legal process. She has rights. The government cannot invade people's privacy without meeting a legal standard," and points out the boy denies that there was sexual contact. Tuckruskye had been charged of endangering the welfare of a child, which as a maximum of a year in jail, but the charges could be upgraded to a felony if she did have sex with him.

Yikes: Newsday reports that after a Sunday night showing of the new horror film "My Bloody Valentine 3D," a security guard stabbed a 16-year-old moviegoer after an argument. Apparently the teen wanted to wait inside the Sunrise Multiplex in Valley Stream for his ride (it's unclear if it's the actual room where the movie was shown or the theater's lobby), but the guard Ricardo Singh wanted moviegoers out. "They pushed and shoved each other, then Singh 'removed a folding knife from his jacket pocket and stabbed the victim in the upper stomach area.'" The teen's wound took six stitches to close and Singh was charged with second-degree assault. Newsday adds that the movie includes "images of body parts, blood and sharp objects appear to hurtle toward the audience" and has the tagline "Nothing says 'date movie' like a 3D ride to hell!" In spite those tempting elements, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was number one at the box office.

In spite of warnings for people not to drink and drive on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, the Nassau County police arrested 27 people between midnight and 9 a.m. Newsday reports that the "potentially dangerous mix of wintry roads and holiday revelry on the eve of 2009" had prompted authorities to be on the alert, concentrating on traffic stops. Earlier this year, after a police officer was critically injured when a drunk driver hit his patrol car—right after he had pulled over another drunk driver—Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi introduced the "Wall of Shame," names, addresses and mugshots of people arrested on DWI charges. After a few lawsuits, it's been modified slightly to only include the names and mugshots.

Eek: Nassau County police say they found 44-year-old Joan Tuckruskye in the back seat of an SUV with a 13-year-old boy. The VP of the Baldwin Middle School PTA and boy were in the "parked, running vehicle" behind the school, according to Newsday. The police said officers approached the car and "tapped on a rear window." In spite of a foggy window, Det. Lt. Kevin Smith said the officers also "noticed both of the individuals were not clothed from the waist down." The boy first claimed he was 18, but then said he was 15; it was at the hospital where cops found out he was 13. Tuckruskye was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and may face more serious charges "if police determine a sexual act took place." The Baldwin school system issued a statement, "The district is working to maintain a normal and calm school environment for all students while police investigate," but parents were shocked.

Nassau County police arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly breaking into an Island Park home. Police say Andrew Zellinger fled because a 14-year-old girl started screaming—Zellinger had apparently been standing in her bedroom. But police were able to nab him, since, as Newsday reports, Zellinger "left behind one very important piece of evidence when he ran: His personal identification." He was charged with first-degree burglary. Related: Over the summer, a robber returned to the Brooklyn home where he stole $200 because he...forgot his wallet.

The Nassau County police were busy between 9 p.m. Wednesday night and 9 a.m. Thursday morning: Newsday reports that cops arrested 35 suspected drunk drivers (on the average night they only arrest 8 or 9 people!). According to Newsday, "With family parties, college students home from school and general holiday merriment, authorities call Thanksgiving weekend among the year's busiest for boozing." Also in Suffolk County, two bars served alcohol to an underage police volunteer, so the bartenders were ticketed (Suffolk cops found most other bars wouldn't even let the volunteer in).

Ludlum Elementary School in Hempstead did not even wait until the inauguration to go ahead and rename themselves Barack Obama Elementary School last night. Like the election of Obama himself, the push to rename the school came in large part from a youth movement--this time of preteens in the largely African-American and Hispanic community. District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Laria praised the students' exuberance saying, "You want to talk about "Yes We Can!"? That was a lesson in democracy." In a very different scene elsewhere on the Island, police have arrested three Shirley men on charges of criminal mischief for the sexual and racist graffiti they left on cars in Mastic last week. Since some of the slurs threatened Obama, the Secret Service is still involved with the investigation of the three men, all in their early twenties.

The controversial gallery of people arrested for drunk driving in Nassau County is back online after some changes. Previously, the names, photos and addresses of arrestees were listed, but, after a judge ruled that the privacy of one alleged drunk driver was violated, now only the names and photos are posted. Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi told Newsday, "My objective has always been to get people to talk more about drunk driving, and to recognize that it's not a socially acceptable crime," but attorney Brian Griffin said, "Under current law in the state of New York, shaming is not a permissible punishment, either pre-conviction or post conviction." Suozzi, who created the "Wall of Shame" after a cop was seriously injured by a DWI driver after pulling over another DWI suspect in May, insists, "This is not about punishment. This is about educating people about drunk driving. This is all public information."

A 29-year-old school teacher is dead and her boyfriend remains in intensive care after they were struck from behind by an SUV while jogging in Huntington Thursday night. The driver of the Dodge Durango that killed Amanda Malloy and seriously injured Vincent Saunders was Shea Rosen, a 19-year-old was charged with a DWI after cops said he smelled of marijuana, had pills in his sock and refused to take a breathalyzer exam at the scene of the crash.

Taxpayers will now be footing the bill to defend accused Long Island murderer William Walsh now that he had to let his lawyer go since he's broke. Walsh said that he is not making any money as a stockbroker trainee and that he has no savings. For years as his wife Leah put herself through grad school and became a teacher, he bounced around managerial jobs at Charlie Brown's steakhouses, allegedly having numerous affairs and was accused of stealing from the chain. When Walsh arrived in court yesterday to face charges for the murder of his wife, he went out of his way to avoid eye contact with members of her family. Outside the court, Leah's mother called him evil and compared him to the devil.

Thomas Walsh, who had been arrested after trying to sneak into a Nassau County jail during non-visiting hours, pleaded not guilty to obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and criminal trespass charges. Walsh had been trying to see his brother William, who is being held for the murder of William's wife. The Post reasons he "could get all the visiting time [with his brother] he wants" now--Thomas Walsh was held on $6,000 bail and Newsday says no one posted it as of Tuesday evening. His lawyer said, "I'm quite sure that he's going through a lot of emotional turmoil. I think anybody would."

the jail to see William. Apparently prisoners cannot have visitors on Monday and Newsday reports that Thomas Walsh "sneaked around to a side ramp and tried to get into the jail that way... When correction officers tried to stop him, he tried to push past them and had to be subdued" (the Post says they had to use pepper spray and three officers). And the Nassau County police did note, "It's ironic that someone would get locked up for trying to break into jail

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi announced he was taking down photographs and information of DWI arrestees from the county website--known as the Wall of Shame-- but that the photos and names of people convicted would be posted. A judge ruled that the privacy of one woman, who sued over her mugshot and name being included, was violated by the allegedly drunk rogues gallery. State Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca felt that posting the claimant's info online could expose her to "limitless and eternal notoriety." Suozzi, created the Wall of Shame after a cop was seriously injured by a DWI driver after pulling over another DWI suspect, promised to appeal and feels the Wall was effective in making people reconsider driving while drunk. But one man who appeared on the Wall told Newsday, "I felt so bad because the people that I know - my family and friends - they know that I don't drink much. It's just a mistake. And everybody found out."

Nassau County is being sued over its DWI "Wall of Shame," which was instituted Memorial Day weekend after a cop was seriously injured by a DWI driver after pulling over another DWI suspect. Lawyer Brian Griffin says his client's mugshot and name should be removed from the Nassau County website, saying, "I don't think you need a law degree to understand that this fundamentally goes against a system of justice in which punishment occurs after you've been found guilty." However, Nassau County's public attorney argues, "These are public documents being given public airing," adding that the website stresses that the defendants are presumed innocent.

Long Island waiters who provide a tantalizing description of the daily specials while omitting such vulgar details as price may have to change up their patter if a proposed law in Nassau County gets passed. Of course, resistance is coming from the New York Restaurant Association, which in recent years has failed to block regulations on calorie info and bans on artificial trans fat. The executive vice president of the group maintains, "It’s good business to give the prices, but it’s beyond the purview of a legislative body to get that far into managing restaurants." But Harvey B. Levinson, a champion of the proposal, tells the Times: "I’m sure that at one time or another you have been enticed by a waiter or waitress into ordering the special of the day, only to discover that it was really the price that was special."

When Andrea Sangermano crashed into two cars on Long Island one night last May, she assured the arresting officers she wasn't drunk or high. And even though she could barely stand up, her breath test registered a blood-alcohol level of .00 percent. Only later did it occur to her to inform the cops that her behavior might have something to do with her being a diabetic in need of insulin. But that didn't stop Nassau County from publishing Sangermano's name and mug shot on their "Wall of Shame" of DWI arrests, where she stayed until yesterday, when a judge dismissed her charges. (The mug shots were also published on Newsday's website.) A spokesman for the county executive apologized but insisted "this is the first time" a defendant has been wrongly placed on the wall of suspects, who are publicly humiliated until proven ugly guilty.

A man who fatally hit a bicyclist and dragged him while he drunkenly crashed into other cars in Hempstead was charged with murder, as well as vehicular manslaughter and DWI. Lorenzo Tobar was allegedly upset his ex-girlfriend (and mother of his child) was dating the bicyclist Ludwin Marcia. A Hempstead resident, who heard the crash and ran out of his house, took the keys from Tobar's car and kept him at the scene until police arrived. Nassau police said, "When we told [Tobar] he had someone under the car ... he kept trying to move the car."

Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi has revamped its DWI "Wall of Shame". Suozzi sought to publicize DWI arrests after a police officer was critically injured when a drunk driver hit him--the officer was in his cruiser on the LIE having just pulled over another DWI driver--and released names, addresses, and photos of arrestees. Now Suozzi has removed offenders under 19, after parents complained and the fact that the youngsters could be given "youthful offender" status. Note: One of the complaining parents was a Suozzi contributor whose 17-year-old daughter was pulled over.

Today, a 6-year-old boy will finally see his father, a Nassau County cop who was critically injured when a drunk driver rammed into his cruiser a month ago. Newsday reports little Christopher Baribault, who has been "plead[ing] to see his dad," will go to the hospital today.