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Joshua Shawn Lozada, age 24, and Melvin Cardines Jr., age 39, both of Brooklyn, were arrested following the crash which took place around 2:40 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, in New Hyde Park, said the Nassau County Police.
According to detectives, third precinct officers responded to a single-car auto accident involving a vehicle that slid off the road and struck a tree at Jericho Turnpike and Covert Avenue.
Both Lozada and Cardines Jr., remained at the scene, both uninjured. A tow truck responded to the location and towed the vehicle from the scene. The tow truck driver, after towing the vehicle to the tow yard at Grand Auto Body in New Hyde Park, found a handgun on the rear passenger floor of the car and called the police.
Officers recovered the loaded gun and responded back to the original accident scene where both Lozada and Cardines remained awaiting a taxi.
After attempting to place them under arrest, Lozada resisted arrest before being placed into custody. Cardines was arrested without further incident, police said.
After being placed into custody, Lozada was found to be in possession of an additional loaded handgun as well as a quantity of marijuana.
During his arrest processing, Lozada became irate and attempted to strike a detective with his fist. Upon attempting to gain control of Lozada, he intentionally whipped his head backward striking an assisting officer in the head causing him to suffer a nose bleed and a contusion, police said.
Lozada was charged with:
- Two counts of assault
- Unlawful possession of marijuana
- Two counts of criminal possession of a weapon
- Three counts of criminal possession of a weapon
- Resisting arrest.
Cardines was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree.
Both were arraigned on Feb. 6 in Mineola.
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