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The incident began in East Hampton as the three male victims were parked in a car outside the East Hampton Town Senior Center on Springs Fireplace Road at around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, 34-year-old Darius Petty approached the vehicle and asked if he could use one of their cell phones.
They obliged, and after using the phone, Petty pulled a knife, held it to the driver’s throat and demanded money from all three, prosecutors said.
He then sat in a rear passenger seat, held a knife to the front passenger’s throat, and demanded that they take him to an ATM at Damark’s Deli, located on Three Mile Harbor Road, according to investigators.
Once there, the group was unable to withdraw cash from the machine so Petty ordered them to drive to a Bank of America branch on Newtown Lane. This time, a victim was able to withdraw $300 and Petty stole it from him, prosecutors said.
He then instructed the driver to take him to Boatheaders Lane in East Hampton, where he got out of the car and fled with the victims’ cash and other belongings, prosecutors said.
The victims, two adults and a minor from East Hampton, were all unharmed.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, East Hampton Police spotted Petty walking on Accabonac Road and attempted to arrest him. He reportedly fled on foot and was found a short time later, hiding inside an unoccupied vehicle.
Petty, who is homeless, was arraigned in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Sept. 18, on the following charges:
- Three counts of kidnapping (felony)
- Robbery (felony)
- Attempted robbery (felony)
He was jailed on a $200,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Town of East Hampton Police Department at 631-537-7575.
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