Crimes Nearby: Police Searching for Suspect in Commack Hit and Run

The Suffolk County Department reported the following arrests.

Three Village

Telephone callers who fit the description of recent widespread phone scams attempted to lure at least three residents in the Three Village area last week.

Residents of Shore Oaks Road in Stony Brook and Herd Lane in East Setauket, along with one other caller with a local address, reported on March 26, March 27 and March 28 that they received phone calls claiming that a family member was in danger. In each case, the call came from a blocked number, and the male caller attempted to convince the person who answered the phone to wire money to a location in Puerto Rico.
Suffolk police recently issued a statement warning people of the scam. Police said approximately 70 reports of similar telephone calls have been reported over the past five months, and believe that dozens more have not been reported.

Police said the victims are randomly selected and the caller in many cases is able to convince residents the scenario is real.

Commack

Suffolk County Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the driver in a hit and run crash that injured an elderly woman on March 16 at the intersection of Commack Road and Jericho Turnpike.

According to police, the male suspect was driving a pickup truck north on Commack Road when he turned east onto Jericho Turnpike, lost control of the vehicle and struck a 2013 Cadillac driven by an elderly female on Saturday, March 16 at approximately 2:40 p.m. The pick-up truck then fled east on Jericho Turnpike, officials said. The elderly female was treated and released from Huntington Hospital.

The truck is described as maroon, with the words Tree Service in yellow on each side of the vehicle. The truck also had a cap covering the rear bed, police said. The truck driver and his male passenger were both wearing neon traffic or construction worker vests. The suspect’s vehicle sustained damage to the front passenger side and a flat front right tire.

Officers are asking anyone who may have information about the incident, witnessed the crash when it occurred, or has information on the vehicle involved to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Smithtown

Police arrested a Coram woman on multiple charges after being found in possession of stolen property and drugs.

According to police, Gwendolyn Hardy, 29, of Coram, was arrested on March 30 in Smithtown on three charges of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor; and one charge of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor.

Police said Hardy was in possession of stolen property while in a 2013 Ford Explorer as well as heroin, cocaine, marijuana and prescription medication.

Miller Place-Rocky Point

Eugene Gotch, 42, of Shoreham, was arrested March 30 and charged with fifth degree criminal possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor, and petty larceny, a misdemeanor. Tracey Nicosia, 40, of Shoreham, was also arrested March 30 on the same charges. According to police, they were found in possession of narcotics and a stolen 40-inch television from a Target valued at $429.

Thomas Hoversen, 28, of Port Jefferson, was arrested March 29 in Mt. Sinai and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. Police said he had an unspecified drug in his possession at 2 p.m. on Jesse Way in Mt. Sinai.

James Deleonardis, 24, of Rocky Point, was arrested March 26 in Coram and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and fourth degree grand larceny, a felony. Deleonardis allegedly took a credit card and gold chain with a cross that belonged to someone else and pawned it. Police said he was also driving without a license at the time of the arrest after failing to pay a fine.

Steven Korth, 23, of Rocky Point, was arrested March 19 and charged with petty larceny, a misdemeanor. Korth allegedly stole a Dyson vacuum valued at $750 from Kohl’s in Rocky Point.

Port Jefferson

Umit Karamustafa, 37, of Port Jefferson Station, was arrested March 29 in Coram and charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony. Police said he took money from a register at a gas station in Coram sometime between August of 2013 and March of 2013.

Kimberly Overstreet, 23, of Holbrook, was arrested March 23 and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor. Police said she was intoxicated after they pulled her over as she was driving westbound on North Country Road in Port Jefferson with a broken headlight and failure to stay in the lane. She was arrested at 9:22 p.m.; she was also arrested earlier that same day in Coram and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. Overstreet was also given a second drug possession charge at the sixth precinct.