'Live-In Help' Hunted

A stolen car recovered in New York City, a $16,000 trail of forged checks, and a pilfered credit card with as much as $5,000 in fraudulent charges.

These are among the factors in an East Hampton Village Police investigation that was still unfolding yesterday as The Star went to press.

The case began last Thursday when Mary Ellen Kay, a senior vice president at Prudential Securities' East Hampton office, told police an employee at her Woods Lane residence had stolen a book of blank checks and a credit card from her.

Police said the man, 50-year-old Peter Jung, had been forging checks around town and using the card since Feb. 20.

Hide-And-Seek

Less than an hour after an officer took Ms. Kay's complaint, the broker called police again to report Mr. Jung had just attempted to steal her Jeep from the driveway, but had run away after being scared off by workers at the house.

A "game of hide-and-seek" ensued, said East Hampton Village Police Chief Glen Stonemetz. As patrols began searching for him, Mr. Jung telephoned Ms. Kay, stating that he was at the Red Horse Market.

Police rushed to the complex, but found no sign of Mr. Jung. East Hampton Bowl was checked, too, with negative results.

Stolen Car

Meanwhile, police called all the taxi companies in town, asking them to be on the lookout for the man.

About an hour after Mr. Jung's phone call, Pete Degenaro, an employee at the Georgica Getty station on Woods Lane, called police to report his car possibly stolen. Mr. Jung had asked to borrow it for 10 or 15 minutes, he said, but had not returned in the past hour and a half.

"We didn't know where he was going," admitted Chief Stonemetz. Police put out a "file one" notice to Suffolk County police and other agencies, alerting them of the stolen car, and even notified authorities at MacArthur Airport in case Mr. Jung should turn up there.

Trailed To N.Y.C.

A few days later, on Monday, police got a break: Mr. Degenaro's car, a 1986 Chevrolet Spectrum, had been recovered on West 88th Street in Manhattan. Its owner was to have gone in to pick it up a day or two later.

Mr. Jung was still at large as of yesterday. Chief Stonemetz said Dets. Gerard Larsen and Margaret Dunn were working actively with New York City police on the case.

The two traveled to New York yesterday, the chief said. They were still there as of press time.

The village detectives had spent several days checking with banks and tracking the forged checks. "We're up to 16 grand and counting," said Chief Stonemetz of the checks.

Tennis Pro

Ms. Kay reported as much as $5,000 in new charges had been put on her missing card. Police have not determined what was allegedly purchased.

Mr. Jung was employed by Ms. Kay as "live-in help," she said yesterday. He had worked at the house for the past year, and also as a tennis pro at Green Hollow Tennis Club on Green Hollow Road, East Hampton.

Ms. Kay declined yesterday to discuss further details of the case, saying she wanted police to make an arrest first.

"It's been a pretty traumatic experience, to say the least," she sighed.

Anyone with pertinent information has been asked to contact village detectives at 324-0777.