Crime & Safety

Crime Nearby: Mom Behind BB Gun Spree

Notable arrests and convictions around Long Island.

An East Northport woman bought her teenaged children a BB gun and then drove them through several neighborhoods as they shot out car windows along the way, Suffolk County Police said.  

Susan Becker, 43, was arrested Friday on child endangerment and criminal mischief charges after police linked her to more than 60 instances of damaged car windows over a two-week period from Islandia and Hauppauge to Commack.    

She was the driver while her 13-year-old son, 15-year-old daughter and another 15-year-old male fired BB guns, police said. Becker bought the weapons and then encouraged the teens to fire on parked cars, police allege. 

Police Stop Lotto Switcheroo
Two clerks at a Riverside gas station and an accomplice were arrested for trying to scam a 28-year-old construction worker out of a $74,892 lottery win, Southampton Town Police said.  

Yalcin Nergiz, 41, Yunis Ozturk, 33, and Orhan Ozurk, 47, all of Riverhead, were arrested and charged with one count each of second degree grand larceny and fourth degree conspiracy.   

The construction worker brought in several scratch-off lotto tickets and one Take 5 Quick Pick lotto ticket to cash in March 18 at the Valero Gas & Convenience Store, police said.   

The clerks cashed in the scratch-offs for a few dollars, but when they scanned the man’s Take 5 ticket and saw the winning amount of $74,892, they allegedly conspired against the man and gave him $774 instead, police said.   

One of the clerks in turn gave the winning ticket to his brother, Orhan Ozurk, who cashed it in and split the winnings, police said.

Chase Ends in Drug Bust
Two men spotted changing a license plate in Bethpage led Nassau Police on a wild chase that ended with the pair captured and facing drug and other charges.  

The incident began Friday afternoon when police received a 911 call for a suspicious male changing license plates on a blue Dodge Caravan on Floral and Farmers avenues in Bethpage.  

Daniel S. Michalski, 36, of West Babylon, and Joseph H. Wolfgang, 43, of Bethpage, drove away from officers who conducted a vehicle stop, police allege. It touched off a chase down Stewart Avenue and onto Route 107, finally ending in front of 140 Stewart Ave before the chase continued on foot, police said.  

According to police, each was caught and found with Hydrocodone pills. Michalski, the driver, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment, registration of a motor vehicle with improper plates, reckless driving, operating without insurance and several other vehicle and traffic law violations.  

DA: Doc Double-Dipped
An Oyster Bay orthopedic surgeon could spend up to seven years in prison for charging private insurance companies for procedures already paid for by workers' compensation, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.  

Philip Rafiy, 50, allegedly billed private insurance companies for procedures already covered by the New York State Workers' Compensation Board from his work out of Hicksville's LI Spine and Orthopedics, PC.  

By double-billing, Rafiy reportedly made $37,063, Rice said.  

High School Stabbing
A 20-year-old student at Uniondale High School was arrested Wednesday after he stabbed a classmate, Nassau County Police said.   

Oscar Castaneda approached a 16-year-old male in the lunchroom, produced a sharp object and stabbed the victim in the neck and back, puncturing his lung, police said. Castaneda was charged with first degree assault and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon.   

Police said there was no known motive for the attack at the time of arrest.                        


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