A Quiet Week for Police

An Amagansett man was charged with aggravated drunken driving last Thursday night after crashing his 2000 Nissan into a wall off Accabonac Road.Elfido Lopez-Mendez was headed south on Collins Avenue, just inside East Hampton Town police jurisdiction, when his car drifted across the double yellow line as he turned left onto Accabonac. After making the turn, he swerved off the road, across a grassy shoulder, and into and onto a slate wall in front of a residence. He was able to back up, it appears from the report, and started to drive away, albeit on the wrong side of the road.

The car sustained front-end and undercarriage damage. In addition to the drunken-driving charge, Mr. Lopez-Mendez faces charges of driving without either a license or insurance.

At police headquarters in Wainscott he consented to a breath test. Police said his blood-alcohol level was 0.26, well over the 0.18 number that triggers the more serious charge. Bail was set the next morning at $500, which was posted.

That was the only alcohol-related arrest this past week. The month of September has been quiet on that score since the Labor Day weekend, following a difficult summer.

In other police news, Christopher Michael McErlean was arrested in East Hampton Village on the afternoon of Sept. 23 after a domestic dispute. Village police said he had choked his wife, and charged him with obstruction of breathing.

At his arraignment the next morning in East Hampton Town Justice Court, his lawyer, Melissa Aguanno of Edward Burke Jr. & Associates, addressed the court. “If you look at my client,” she told Justice Steven Tekulsky, “he has a big black and blue on his eye.”

Justice Tekulsky granted Ms. McErlean an order of protection. Mr. McErlean removed his glasses to sign it; his right eye was noticeably bruised.

Justice Tekulsky set bail at $500, which was posted