Killer Sought To Avenge Girlfriend’s Dad In Bethpage Motel Murder, Gets Decades In Prison: DA
A gunman who shot and killed a man while seeking revenge for his girlfriend’s father was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Sgroilin Santana, 23, of Tamaqua, PA, got 23 years to life for gunning down Jorge Vazquez outside a Long Island motel, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said.
The trouble began on April 2, 2025, when the 35-year-old Vazquez, of Tampa, FL, got into an altercation with Alexander Garcia at a construction site in Nassau County, NY, they were both working on, according to investigators. Garcia, 40, was the father of Santana's girlfriend, authorities said.
Santana the…
Ford Mustang Passenger, 60, Killed In Hempstead Car Crash, Cops Say
A 60-year-old passenger was killed in a two-car crash Tuesday evening, Oct. 20 at a Long Island intersection, police said.
The deceased victim was riding as a passenger in a 2007 Ford Mustang traveling westbound on Windsor Parkway in Hempstead, the Nassau County Police Department said.
As the Mustang was crossing Long Beach Road around 5:30 pm. Tuesday, it was struck by a 2026 Jeep Wrangler, police said. The Wrangler was traveling southbound, according to investigators.
The Jeep driver, a 39-year-old woman, and the Mustang driver, a 34-year-old woman, both suffered minor injuries in the cr…
Suffolk County Officer And Hicksville Native Dies Suddenly, Department's Second Death In A Week
A second Suffolk County police officer has died suddenly in a week, devastating family and friends and leading to an outpouring of support.
Christopher J. Durham, 32, died Monday, Oct. 19, according to an obituary from Massapequa Funeral Home.
"Chris was a dedicated police officer, a beloved son, fiancé, family member, and friend," organizer Carolyn Infantas wrote in a GoFundMe for Durham's family. "He was deeply loved by so many, and his unexpected passing has left his family, friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know him devastated."
Before joining the Suffolk County Police Departme…
Stranger Forces Way Into Farmingdale Couple's Home After Being Told To Leave: Police
A Long Island couple found themselves confronting a stranger who allegedly forced his way into their home after they told him to leave, police said.
Marcus Wilkinson, 23, of Brentwood, was arrested following the incident at a Melville Road home in Farmingdale on Saturday, Oct. 17, around 6:10 a.m., Nassau County police said.
Wilkinson first began banging on the front door and acting erratically, police said. The residents, a 42-year-old woman and 44-year-old man who did not know Wilkinson, told him to leave.
Instead, Wilkinson allegedly entered their gated backyard and forced his way …
Serial Grass Killer Leaves North Massapequa Homeowner With $5K Lawn Nightmare: Cops
Long Island police are looking for a grass killer who targeted a specific house three times, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 15.
The suspect, who is wanted for criminal mischief, caused around $5,000 in damage to a front lawn on Linden Street in North Massapequa, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Surveillance cameras captured the suspect pouring an unknown substance on the yard and “causing significant damage,” police said.
The man’s first grass attack occurred around 3 a.m. Friday, July 24, followed by two more on Sunday, July 26 and Saturday, Sept. 19, according to investigators…
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…
