A 34-year-old homeless man accused of kidnapping and robbing three young East Hampton men at knifepoint on Sept. 3 pleaded not guilty to five felony charges at his arraignment before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei on Wednesday.
Darius Petty appeared in dark green jail fatigues to address the charges, namely three counts of second-degree kidnapping and one count of first-degree robbery, both class-B felonies, along with a single count of first-degree attempted robbery, a class-C felony.
Police said that on Sept. 3 Mr. Petty approached the three young men, one of whom is a juvenile, while they were parked at the East Hampton Town Senior Citizens Center. He then reportedly asked to borrow a cellphone. When the young men obliged, the district attorney alleged, Mr. Petty pulled out a knife, entered the vehicle, and demanded money.
Holding a knife to the front passenger's throat, Mr. Petty reportedly demanded that the driver take him to the A.T.M. at Damark's Deli, where he forced one of the young men to retrieve cash.
When the attempt was unsuccessful, Mr. Petty ordered the group to take him to the Bank of America on Newtown Lane in East Hampton, where the young men made a $300 withdrawal.
After another drive, Mr. Petty fled the car near Boatheaders Lane, taking the money and a black hoodie belonging to one of the young men, police reports indicate. The next day, East Hampton Village police arrested Mr. Petty, finding him in a driveway on Accabonac Road.
Assistant District Attorney James O'Rourke, who was covering the arraignment for a colleague, requested bail be set at $100,000 cash, $200,000 insurance bond, or $1 million partially secured bond.
Mr. Petty has prior convictions of two felonies and two misdemeanors, Mr. O'Rourke argued before Justice Mazzei, along with two previous probation revocations.
John Halverson, the attorney appointed to represent Mr. Petty, declined to speak on bail at the arraignment, but reserved the right to do so at a future court date. However, Mr. Halverson had at that point established contact with Mr. Petty's family, the attorney told the judge.
As such, Justice Mazzei agreed with the amounts requested by Mr. O'Rourke. Court officers uncuffed Mr. Petty so that he could sign three orders of protection, which will be in effect for a year.
If convicted of the top count, Mr. Petty could face up to 25 years in prison.
"In Suffolk County, violent crimes will always be met with serious legal consequences," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a press release, also describing the incident as "deeply disturbing."
During the arraignment, Mr. Petty was largely silent, only answering the judge when prompted. At an appearance in East Hampton Town Justice Court the day after his arrest, Mr. Petty refused to talk to Justice Steven Tekulsky and occasionally turned around to address audience members.
Before the end of the Suffolk County hearing, Justice Mazzei informed Mr. Petty that his attorney is set for a weekslong trial in another case, so communication could be slow during that timeframe. Nonetheless, the judge ordered a follow-up court date for Oct. 9.
