Levittown Deli Erupts In Panic After Unwanted Customer Brandishes Knife, Police Say
A Long Island man sent workers and customers into a panic at a Long Island deli on Sunday, Aug. 16 when he pulled a knife, police said.
Jawon Rainey, 29, of Levittown, entered La Fonda Deli in the town around 4 p.m., the Nassau County Police Department said.
Employees told Rainey to leave “numerous times” but he refused, became more upset, and tried to punch a worker, authorities said. Rainey then exited the building and brandished a knife, causing “employees and patrons to fear for their safety,” Nassau County police said.
Rainey then took off on foot, but he was arrested later without in…
Malta School Bus Driver Tried To Kiss Child Under 17 In Capital Region: Police
A Capital Region school bus driver tried to kiss a child he met through his job, state police said Monday, Aug. 10.
Donald Barnes Jr., 49, of Malta, was charged Friday, Aug. 7 with child endangerment, New York State Police said.
Barnes met the child, who is under age 17, while working as a bus driver with Shenendehowa Central School District, investigators said. On Friday, troopers received a report about Barnes attempting to kiss the child on the mouth, authorities said.
The incident occurred in Malta but did not happen on Shenendehowa Central School District property, according to state …
Child Found Inside Drunk Woman’s Car That Smashed Pole In Water Mill: Police
A drunk woman crashed her car into a pole with a child inside on Long Island, police said.
Shannon Priest, 36, of Water Mill, collided with a pole at the intersection of Flying Point Road and Seven Ponds Road in Water Mill around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Southampton Town Police Department said.
Cops responded to the scene and located a child under age 16 in the vehicle, authorities said.
Priest was charged with felony DWI under Leandra’s Law, along with child endangerment, police said. The child was turned over to a family member, while Priest was held overnight for arraignment Wedne…
Mom, Daughter Ran $160K Retail NY Theft Ring, Stashed Items In Valley Stream Spot: Police
A mother and daughter operated a coordinated retail theft ring across Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New York City, authorities said Thursday, July 30.
Maria Betances, 47, and Leslie Cruz, 24, had nearly $160,000 worth of stolen goods and $30,000 cash at their homes in Valley Stream and Queens, respectively, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
The duo operated the scheme for months, directing at least four burglars to hit stores in Nassau, Westchester, and Rockland counties, along with Queens and Staten Island, according to New York State Police.
Betances also ran the …
Sexually Explicit Comments To Students Get Hauppauge Driving Instructor Fired, Arrested: Police
A Long Island driving instructor made sexually explicit and offensive comments to his students during lessons, police said Thursday, July 30.
Joseph Klein, 66, was arrested Wednesday, July 29 after an investigation into his activities at Elite Driving of Long Island in Hauppauge, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Klein, of Farmingdale, made the comments to male students between Monday, July 6 and Wednesday, July 22, according to investigators.
Driving school owner Asif Khan told News 12 Long Island that Klein had just been hired recently, then canned last week after the company le…
LI Middle School Weed Gummy Case: Dealer Cuts Plea Deal And Faces Deportation, Authorities Say
A Long Island drug dealer admitted selling weed gummies to a middle school student, eventually sending 12 children to a local hospital, authorities said Thursday, July 30.
Wilmer Castillo Garcia, 23, pleaded guilty to third-degree drug possession and child endangerment in exchange for a two-year prison term, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Castillo Garcia, of Mastic, is a Guatemalan native and will face deportation after serving his sentence, according to authorities.
His legal problems began in March 2025, when a dozen students at William Floyd Middle School in Moriche…
NY Mom Crashes SUV Into Brookhaven Woods With Infant, Preschooler Sons Inside
A mom is accused of driving drunk with her two young sons in the SUV before crashing into the woods late Saturday night in New York, police said in a release issued Sunday, July 19.
Jesher Rivera-Barreto, 31, of Medford, was driving a 2006 Toyota 4Runner southbound on Horseblock Road at the intersection of Montauk Highway in Brookhaven when she lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and crashed into the woods around 11:25 p.m., Suffolk County Police said.
Rivera-Barreto's 1-year-old and 4-year-old sons were riding in the vehicle at the time of the crash, according …
Hauppauge Creep Abused 12-Year-Old Girl He Found On Snapchat: Police
A Long Island man sexually abused a 12-year-old girl after first contacting her over social media, police said.
Jonathan Pak, 33, was arraigned Thursday, July 16 on two counts of first-degree sex abuse, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Pak, of Hauppauge, contacted the girl over Snapchat with the username “loudesttwhisper,” where he also went by Jason, investigators said.
In December 2025, Pak met the girl in a van in a parking lot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack, where he sexually abused her, police said. After cops received a tip and investigated the case, Pak surrendered at a …
'Playboy' Hid Fentanyl In Upper Marlboro Home Where His Young Children Slept, Feds Say
A Maryland fentanyl dealer with a curious nickname who kept drugs in the same home where his young children slept is headed to federal prison, authorities announced.
Fredrick Crawford, 33, also known as "Playboy," was sentenced to 66 months behind bars after investigators linked him to a fentanyl trafficking operation that stretched into Washington, DC.
But it was what agents found at home that stood out after he sold nearly 10 ounces to undercover officers.
When federal investigators searched Crawford's residence in October 2025, they found fentanyl, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijua…
Drunk Driver, 26, Caught With 6-Year-Old In Car On Route 22 In Southeast: Sheriff
A Westchester County man is facing felony charges after authorities said he was driving drunk with a 6-year-old child in his vehicle in Putnam County.
Peekskill resident Fausto Elizo Guerrero Benalcazar, 26, was arrested following a traffic stop in Southeast during the early morning hours of Sunday, May 31, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday, June 2.
Deputies stopped the vehicle at around 1:43 a.m. after seeing it cross over the double yellow center line on Route 22, the Sheriff's Office said.
During the investigation, deputies found the driver, Guerre…
7-Year-Old Girl Sexually Assaulted By Teenage Tutor At Port Washington Library: Police
A teenage tutor sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl multiple times inside a Long Island library, police said.
Taylor Lindberg, 18, of Port Washington, was arrested Tuesday, May 19, and charged with three counts of first-degree sex abuse and child endangerment, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Lindberg was working as a tutor at Port Washington library when he had “unwanted sexual contact” with the child victim on Monday, May 11, and again on Monday, May 18, police said.
At his arraignment on Wednesday, May 20, Lindberg pleaded not guilty and was held on $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond…
USPS Driver Raped 15-Year-Old In Mail Truck In East Hampton, Cops Say
A U.S. Postal Service worker raped a 15-year-old girl inside a mail truck on Long Island, police said.
Jenry Buestan Gutama, 23, was operating the postal vehicle in East Hampton with the teen victim as a passenger, the East Hampton Town Police Department said Friday, May 15.
The teen victim was familiar with Buestan Gutama, investigators said. After the assault, she immediately reported the incident to school officials, who contacted police, according to authorities.
Buestan Gutama, of Moriches, was arraigned Saturday, May 16 on charges of first-degree rape and child endangerment, police s…
Man Charged With Stealing Car With Kids Inside: Bridgeton PD
A Bridgeton man has been charged after he stole a car at Wawa with two kids in the backseat, authorities said.
Rashaud Hannah is charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, theft of a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence and theft, Bridgeton police said.
At 1:20 a.m., on Tuesday, May 5 a woman entered a Wawa at 101 E. Broad St. while her two children remained in the vehicle, police said. When she returned to her vehicle, it was gone, police said.
The vehicle was recovered shortly after with the children still inside and unharmed, police …
DWI With 2-Year-Old Child Lands Suffolk Woman In Jail: Police
A Long Island woman driving drunk with a 2-year-old child in her vehicle has been arrested, police said Thursday, April 30.
Lina Lopez Alvarez, 35, was pulled over around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 29 after cops noticed her speeding and failing to signal a turn while traveling westbound on County Road 39, the Southampton Police Department said.
Lopez Alvarez, of Hampton Bays, was arrested at the scene after officers determined she was intoxicated, police said. She was charged with felony DWI under Leandra’s Law because a 2-year-old child was located in the backseat, cops said.
She was also…
Mom Tried To Kill 1-Year-Old Daughter In Hempstead Apartment Assault: Authorities
A Long Island mom tried to kill her 1-year-old daughter, bashing her into a concrete wall and screaming loudly, authorities said Thursday, April 23.
Chantel Barnes, 28, flung the toddler in circles and slammed her into the wall inside an apartment building in Hempstead, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said.
Barnes was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, and child endangerment, prosecutors said.
The chaos began around 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 9 when a screaming Barnes stepped out of her apartment with blood on her clothes and the 21-mon…
Schenectady Dad Who Slugged Fellow Father At Play Area Convicted Of Assault
A New York man who punched another father in the face outside a children’s play area was convicted of assault on Wednesday, April 22, authorities said.
Joshua Hunter, 47, was found guilty of third-degree assault and seven counts of child endangerment, the Albany County District Attorney’s office said.
Hunter, of Schenectady, was at The Littles Play Café in Latham on Feb. 23, 2025, when he spotted another man speaking with his daughter, investigators said.
He then yelled at the 43-year-old man and they stepped out of the facility, at which point Hunter punched the other man in the face, aut…
