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Both Speeding and Swerving

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 06:39

East Hampton Town police arrested Freddy Romeo Mendoza-Gutierrez early Sunday morning on Three Mile Harbor-Hog Creek Road in Springs, saying his 2008 Ford had been swerving into the oncoming lane. He failed a field sobriety test, police said, and his breath test at Wainscott headquarters produced a reported reading of.15, almost twice the legal limit. He was charged with drunken driving, a misdemeanor, and aggravated unlicensed driving.

Mr. Mendoza, who lives in East Hampton Village, was arraigned before East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana later that day. She took great pains to explain to him through the court translator that his driving privileges in New York State were suspended, and that were he to be arrested again while driving, the charge would be far more serious. He repeatedly asked if he could drive again after his case was resolved. “At no point is this court telling you that, when this case is over, you will be able to drive,” Justice Rana said.

The attorney Carl Irace, who was representing Mr. Mendoza, questioned the validity of the .15 reading. “I’m not trying this case now,” Justice Rana said. She ended the discussion by setting bail at $350, which was paid.

A Woodcliff Lake, N.J., woman, Megan A. Ennis, 28, was charged with the same crime early on the morning of June 21. Police said her 2014 Land Rover had been speeding and swerving before they pulled it over on Montauk Highway near Spring Close Highway in East Hampton. At headquarters, her reported blood-alcohol percentage was .13. She has no ties to the community, the court found, and her bail was set at $500, which was posted promptly by her family.

Sag Harbor Village police stopped Mary J. Tagliasacchi, 63, early last Thursday morning on Jermain Avenue, saying her 2013 Lexus S.U.V. had been speeding. She failed the roadside sobriety test, they said, and refused to take a breath test, both at the scene and later at police headquarters. She was released without bail later that morning, with a warning that her refusal to take a breath test meant an automatic suspension of her license.

Long Days on the Fire Line In Orange County

East Hampton and Amagansett firefighters volunteered to head north last week to help fight a 5,000-acre wildfire in Orange County, N.Y., not once but twice, battling unfamiliar terrain to do so. “They fight fires completely differently than we do when we have a brush fire,” the Amagansett chief said.

Nov 21, 2024

Awards for Good Policing in Handgun Scuffle

“It could have gone worse. We’re lucky that I have officers here that weren’t shot,” said Police Chief Jeff Erickson at Friday’s East Hampton Village Board meeting. Chief Erickson was recognizing Sgt. Wayne Gauger and Officers John Clark and Robbie Greene for a traffic stop on Aug. 31 that turned into a scuffle and the eventual confiscation of an illegal gun.

Nov 21, 2024

On the Police Logs 11.21.24

A Three Mile Harbor Drive resident reported an online dating scam on the afternoon of Nov. 16. Somehow, said the 80-year-old man, a person on the dating platform had gotten his phone number and demanded $2,000 from him, threatening to tell his family he was using the site if he did not comply. Police told the man to block the number.

Nov 21, 2024

Head-On Collision on Route 27

A 2-year-old was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital following a head-on collision Saturday afternoon on State Route 27 near Upland Road in Montauk.

Nov 21, 2024

 

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