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PTA Mom Admits Stealing $50K From Suffolk Group For Tickets, Hotels, And Amazon: Authorities
A Long Island PTA mom admitted stealing more than $50,000 from the organization and spending it on herself, authorities said.
Jodi Scarlatos, 44, of Centereach, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny on Thursday, Oct. 15, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Scarlatos was treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA from July 2020 through September 2023, giving her access to the group’s bank account and a debit card meant only for PTA expenses, investigators said.
Instead, she spent the money at restaurants, Best Buy, Ticketmaster, Amazon, and Verizon, along with ho…
Family Of Slain Girl, 9, Reported Abuse Weeks Before Her Death, Great-Grandma Says
For most of her young life, 9-year-old Maya Thomas knew a home filled with swimming, hiking, love, and two great-grandmothers who adored her. Now, those same women say they tried to save her after learning she was apparently being abused by her mother and stepfather just weeks before her death.
Maya was found severely injured outside her Paulsboro home early Tuesday, Oct. 13, after her mother, India Miller, and stepfather, Sean Scott, called 911 claiming she'd been struck by a car while walking her dog, Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew Johns said.
But doctors found bruises covering …
Netflix Replaces Top Show Boss Behind Your Favorites After Nearly A Decade
The woman who oversaw some of Netflix's biggest hits, including "Stranger Things," "Wednesday," and "Squid Game," is leaving the streaming giant after nearly a decade.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, is departing the company, Netflix announced Thursday, Oct. 15. Peter Rice, a former Disney and Fox executive, will replace her beginning Monday, Oct. 26.
The shakeup comes one day after Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters told employees on Wednesday, Oct. 14, that the company was cutting about 1,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, in its largest round of layoffs yet d…
E-Bike Rider, 63, Thrown Over Handlebars In Crash, Suffolk County Police Say
A 63-year-old man suffered a head injury after being thrown over the handlebars of his electric bicycle in a Long Island crash on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 15, police said.
The crash happened around 3:20 p.m. in Uniondale, where the man was riding westbound on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, according to Nassau County Police.
He struck a curb at the intersection of Earle Ovington Boulevard, sending him over the handlebars, investigators said.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of a head injury and was listed in stable condition, police said.
No other injuries were reported.
LI Father Of Three Dies Suddenly, Fundraiser Launched For Wife And Kids: ‘An Unimaginable Time'
A Long Island father of three died unexpectedly Saturday, Oct. 10, and his family has launched a fundraiser following the shocking loss.
Howard J. Woltmann III, of East Meadow, worked as a customs broker at JFK Airport and was remembered fondly across his personal and professional life.
“He was the kind of person who could always make you laugh and had the biggest heart,” Woltmann’s niece Jennifer Bishun wrote on Facebook. “The love he had for my Aunt Tina, and the happiness they shared together, was truly something special and so admirable.”
Tina Woltmann’s sister, Rosemary Duffy, launche…
NY Man Accused Of Using CT Home’s Internet To Download Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Files
A New York man used a Connecticut home’s internet connection to download child sexual abuse material and store it on Google Drive, police allege.
Michael Edward Wyatt Dobush, 25, of Clymer, New York, was arrested Thursday morning, Oct. 15, and was charged with first-degree possession of child sex abuse material, Coventry police said. He was released on a $75,000 bond.
The investigation began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, police said. Investigators traced suspected downloads to an IP address tied to a Coventry residence.
Police said the invest…
LI Murderer Who Stabbed Mother-In-Law To Death Learns His Fate: Authorities
A Long Island man who stabbed his estranged mother-in-law to death after a family birthday celebration was sentenced Thursday, Oct. 15 to decades in prison, authorities said.
Erick Corado Gonzalez, 29, of Glen Cove, got 25 years to life behind bars for murdering Ana Espinoza outside a West Hempstead restaurant, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said.
Espinoza, 51, and other family members had been celebrating her adult daughter’s birthday at La Candela II on Sept. 28, 2024, prosecutors said. Gonzalez, the daughter’s estranged husband, was not invited, authorities said.
As the fa…
Uninvited Teen Admits Killing 15-Year-Old At Suffolk House Party: Authorities
A Long Island teen who showed up uninvited to a house party admitted to fatally stabbing a 15-year-old boy after being asked to leave, prosecutors said.
Aiden Zachary, 18, of Syosset, pleaded guilty Thursday, Oct. 15 to first-degree manslaughter in the killing of Liam Delemo, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Though he was not invited, Zachary showed up at a large house party in West Babylon around 10 p.m. Nov. 3, 2025, prosecutors said. He was 17 at the time.
After being asked to leave, Zachary got into an altercation with Delemo, investigators said. As the dispute escal…
Drug Dealer Got Suffolk Teen Hooked On Cocaine, Traded It For Sex: Authorities
A Long Island drug dealer raped a teenage girl after supplying her with cocaine, authorities said.
Luis Gonzalez, 23, of Lake Ronkonkoma, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 14 to three drug and sex crimes, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. He’s expected to get four years in prison as part of a plea deal, according to authorities.
Gonzalez started selling marijuana and vape products to the girl in January 2023, when the girl was 13, and continued until September 2025, investigators said.
At one point, Gonzalez got the girl hooked on cocaine by offering it to her for free, then…
9-Year-Old Girl Beaten To Death By Mom, Stepdad After Hit-Run Story Unravels: Prosecutor
A New Jersey mother and stepfather have been charged with murder following the death of a 9-year-old girl, authorities announced Thursday, Oct. 15.
At 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, India Miller, 27, and Sean Scott, 45, both Paulsboro residents, called 911 after Miller said she heard a loud sound, similar to tires screeching, before Scott went outside and found the girl by their shed, at 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew Johns said. Miller said the girl was hit by a car while walking her dog, Johns said.
The girl was transported to a local hos…
Cops Track Fleeing Drunk Driver After He Ditches Suffolk Crash Scene: Police
A drunk Long Island driver collided with another car then fled the scene Wednesday night, Oct. 14, police said.
Miroslaw Jastrzebski, 62, of Riverhead, was involved in a two-vehicle crash on County Road 104 near the intersection with County Road 105 in Flanders shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Jastrzebski was behind the wheel of a 2002 Ford sedan and left the scene before cops arrived, but investigators were able to locate him and his vehicle shortly afterward, police said.
During that interaction, officers determined Jastrzebski was drunk, a…
Serial Grass Killer Leaves Long Island Homeowner With $5K Lawn Nightmare: Cops
Long Island police are looking for a grass killer who targeted a specific house three times, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 15.
The suspect, who is wanted for criminal mischief, caused around $5,000 in damage to a front lawn on Linden Street in North Massapequa, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Surveillance cameras captured the suspect pouring an unknown substance on the yard and “causing significant damage,” police said.
The man’s first grass attack occurred around 3 a.m. Friday, July 24, followed by two more on Sunday, July 26 and Saturday, Sept. 19, according to investigators…
Mortgage Company Owner, 55, Killed In Suffolk County Motorcycle Crash Into Parked Jeep
A 55-year-old Long Island businessman was killed when his motorcycle struck a parked Jeep, throwing him from his bike on Monday afternoon, Oct. 12, police said.
The crash happened around 1:20 p.m. on William Floyd Parkway near Ridgewood Drive in Shirley, according to Suffolk County Police.
Robert Haufler, of Holbrook, was riding a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle southbound when he lost control and struck the driver's side of a parked 2016 Jeep, police said.
Haufler was ejected from the motorcycle and rushed to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk in Patchogue, where he was pronounced dead.
Long Island Bus…
Massage Parlor Raided After Community Complaints, Woman Arrested: Suffolk County Police
A Long Island massage parlor was raided following community complaints, leading to a prostitution arrest and multiple violations against the business, police announced.
The raid happened at Blue Ocean Spa, located at 1227 Grundy Avenue in Holbrook, at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
Officers launched an investigation into the business after receiving complaints from the community, police said.
The operation involved the Fifth Precinct Crime Unit, Fifth Precinct Detective Squad, Human Trafficking Unit, Community Support Unit,…
Mom Drained 401(k) Before Great Wolf Lodge Killings; NY Family Raising Funeral Funds
A Pennsylvania mother charged with killing her husband and 3-year-old son at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos had tapped retirement savings to fund the family's three-week vacation and home renovations before the killings, according to her stepmother, who now believes the deaths were planned.
Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, of Towanda, appeared happy during a video call with relatives shortly before her husband, Charles "Chaz" Harrison, 36, and their son, Tristan, were found stabbed to death inside the resort on Monday, Oct. 12, her stepmother, April Thetga, told the New York Post in an intervie…
Gunman And Two Victims All Arrested Following Lirr Shooting: Report
The gunman and two victims involved in a shooting on a Long Island Rail Road platform have all been arrested, authorities said Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Cops identified Jahmez Cureton, 19, of Wyandanch, as the attacker and Abdul Willett, 40, of Bellport, as an adult victim, Newsday reported. Additionally, a 17-year-old boy who was also shot was arrested on an unrelated charge, authorities said.
Police said Cureton targeted the 17-year-old victim following a “dispute over a female,” according to Newsday. Willett was an innocent bystander in the shooting but was in possession of a stolen bicycle wh…
Vengeful Suffolk Arsonist Who Torched Bar After Being Booted Takes Plea Deal: Authorities
A Long Island man who tried to torch a local bar after he was kicked out has admitted to arson, authorities said.
Paul Lucia, 60, of Islip Terrace, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Oct. 13 in the fire at Riley Fibbers in East Islip, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. He faces a maximum prison term of 10 years after taking a plea deal, authorities said.
Lucia was asked to leave the bar around 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2025, after taking a picture of a staff member, authorities said. He drove away in a white Jeep Patriot but returned with a gas can and a lighter around 7:30 p.m., investig…
Water Mill Drunk Driver Escapes Injury — But Not Cuffs — After Crashing Into Pole: Police
A Long Island drunk driver was arrested after crashing into a utility pole, police said.
Ethan Endress, 22, of Middle Island, was traveling on Schwenks Road in Water Mill on Sunday, Oct. 11, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Endress crashed his car into the pole but avoided serious injury, and no other vehicles were involved in the wreck, police said.
However, investigators on the scene determined Endress was drunk and took him into police custody, officials said. He was charged with misdemeanor DWI and held overnight for arraignment Monday, Oct. 12, according to police.
NY Customers Targeted In NJ Bank Fraudster’s $1.8M Scheme, Prison Follows: Feds
A notorious bank fraudster from New Jersey is headed to federal prison after ripping off customers, businesses, and banks across the tristate area, federal investigators said.
Laquan Williams, 42, of Florham Park, was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13 to 16 years and eight months in prison, the Justice Department said.
Williams stole at least $1.8 million from various financial institutions through three overlapping schemes that ran from October 2021 to May 2024, the feds said.
The most lucrative operation involved stolen U.S. Treasury checks, in which Williams and co-conspirators impersonated le…
Drunk Suffolk Driver Arrested At Crash Scene After Slamming Into Retaining Wall, Cops Say
A drunk driver on Long Island plowed into a retaining wall and was arrested at the scene, police said.
Gerber G. Xuya, 31, of Riverhead, was traveling northbound on Pegs Lane in Riverside just before 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Xuya’s vehicle left the roadway and collided with a retaining wall in front of a house on the residential street, police said. As cops were investigating the crash and interviewing Xuya, they determined he was drunk and placed him under arrest, authorities said.
Officers took Xuya to Southampton police headquarters for proces…
Drunk Driver, 21, Was Also High When He Killed Suffolk Dad In Parked Car, Authorities Say
A Long Island driver was drunk and high when he plowed into a parked car and killed a man earlier this year, authorities said.
Noah Slusser, 21, of Holtsville, was indicted and arraigned Wednesday, Oct. 14 for the crash that killed James Baldassarri in Middle Island on Thursday, Aug. 27, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Baldassarri, 44, of Holtsville, was sitting in a parked 2025 Toyota Crown on Wilson Avenue near Adams Lane around 12 a.m. Aug. 27, police said. Slusser came up speeding south on Wilson Avenue in a 2017 Ford Taurus, prosecutors said.
He drove into a marked…
