An East Hampton Town justice sent a homeless man to Suffolk County jail without bail Thursday following the man's arrest on eight combined charges of robbery, attempted robbery, and kidnapping.
Police have alleged that on Tuesday evening, Darius Petty, 34, approached three people — all male East Hampton residents, one of them a juvenile — in a parking lot on Springs-Fireplace Road, where he held a knife to the throat of one victim and demanded money. The three victims were uninjured. The address of the parking lot matches that of the East Hampton Town Senior Center.
Police said Mr. Petty then "ordered" the three people to drive to the Bank of America on Newtown Lane in East Hampton, where a $300 withdrawal was made; this followed an unsuccessful attempt at another A.T.M. Mr. Petty then allegedly fled with the money in hand.
A plainclothes officer reportedly located Mr. Petty the next afternoon as he was walking down Accabonac Road. When the officer attempted to take Mr. Petty into custody he ran away on foot, before being discovered in a vehicle nearby, police said.
Police charged Mr. Petty with four counts of first-degree attempted robbery, three counts of second-degree kidnapping, and one count of first-degree robbery, all felonies.
Mr. Petty was held overnight and appeared in court for his arraignment on Thursday shortly after 11 a.m. before East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky.
At the hearing, Mr. Petty refused to speak to Justice Tekulsky as the judge attempted to work through the usual procedure.
"Speak, please," Justice Tekulsky said, asking Mr. Petty if he is charged under the correct name and instructing him to answer "yes" or "no." Eventually, Mr. Petty acknowledged the question by nodding his head.
Next, Justice Tekulsky appointed an attorney for future court dates, tapping John Halverson, who was present for the morning arraignment. The judge wanted Mr. Halverson appointed for the duration of the case, though that matter ultimately remained undecided.
The judge then attempted to serve Mr. Petty with an order of protection that prohibits contact with the alleged victims. Mr. Petty declined to sign the order, at which point Justice Tekulsky handed the paperwork to court officers and asked them to sign on the defendant's behalf if he again refused.
"Your lack of cooperation is not helpful for you, sir," Justice Tekulsky said.
The prosecutor requested that the identity of the minor victim remain confidential. As part of the protective order, Mr. Petty must surrender any firearms.
At that point, Mr. Petty, who was in handcuffs, turned around to address two people attending the court hearing.
"Turn him around," Justice Tekulsky, standing up behind the bench at that point, told the court officers surrounding Mr. Petty.
Mr. Petty has two prior felony convictions, including an October 2011 conviction for burglary in Suffolk County Criminal Court. Additionally, he has a history of legal troubles in Florida, the prosecutor said.
As for bail, Justice Tekulsky stated he would order a no-bail hold on Mr. Petty, citing the two prior felony convictions as a primary reason.
Justice Tekulsky ordered a follow-up court date for Monday. As that session is to be "paperwork only," Mr. Petty will not personally appear.
As the arraignment wound down and officers attempted to return Mr. Petty to a police vehicle, another confrontation ensued in which Mr. Petty objected with colorful language to the officers escorting him.
As the investigation is still ongoing, East Hampton police request anyone with information to call the Detective Division at 631-537-7575.