Crime & Safety

Crimes Nearby: Hostage, Rape, White Powder and Lewd Act

A look at crimes in the towns surrounding Mineola.

The following arrest information was supplied by several local police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate convictions.

A jury has convicted a Williston Park man of trying to ship a kilogram of cocaine across the country to himself in a television box. David Kappen, 35, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees and faces 12 to 24 years in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 26.

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Roslyn Heights

A hostage situation occurred at 167 Laurel Street on June 10 at 6:57 p.m. The armed suspect, reportedly a violent bi-polar patient, was in the residence with a hostage and a possible stab victim. The subject was placed into police custody at 7:22 p.m.

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Emergency service units were requested at 22 Pebble Lane on June 11 at 5:46 p.m.

A person reportedly fell off 12 ft. off of a ladder into an empty pool at 500 Searingtown Road at Christopher Morley Park on June 12 at 8:28 a.m. Emergency service units were summoned to remove the victim.

Nassau County Police have arrested a man in connection with an assault on June 12. According to detectives, Owin Thomas, 32, of Roslyn Heights was involved in a dispute over money with a 50 year old male victim.  During the course of the argument the defendant slashed the victim several times on the head, face and arm. The victim was taken to an area hospital by Nassau County Police Ambulance where he received 21 stitches to his injuries. During the investigation it was discovered that the defendant had an open Family Court warrant from Jan. 1, 2012 and was also wanted for a Criminal Mischief which occurred on April 29 2012. Thomas is charged with second degree assault, third degree criminal mischief and first degree criminal contempt and was arraigned on Monday, June 11, 2012 at First District Court in Hempstead.

A New Hyde Park man and his son have been indicted on charges related to illegal modifications made to a Brooklyn apartment in which five people were killed in a 2010 fire. Vasilios Gerazounis, 68, and his son, Argyrios Gerazounis, 37, joint owners of 2033 86th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn are being charged with five counts of first degree reckless endangerment and one count of first degree assault among other charges, for the death of five tenants trying to escape an arson fire in the building on Jan. 30, 2010.

Floral Park

A serious injury occurred on the Cross Island Parkway on June 9 at 7:57 a.m. in the vicinity of exit 26. Emergency service units were called to the scene to remove the patient and CPR was performed. 

Westbury

A two-car accident occurred in the vicinity of the Northern State Parkway on June 10 at 1:34 p.m. and was moved onto the shoulder. New York State Police and Nassau County officers responded to the scene.

Nassau County Police arrested a Queens man on June 11, 2012 at 8:30 A.M. in Westbury in connection with counterfeiting. According to detectives, Malek Harrison, 24, went to the Target store at 999 Corporate Drive in Westbury on May 24 and purchased multiple electronic items using counterfeit $100 bills and left the store. He returned a short time later and again purchased electronic equipment with counterfeit bills. The approximate loss was $1,000.00. Harrison surrendered to detectives and was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. He was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Monday, June 11.

Franklin Square

A police car accident occurred on June 11 at 2:28 p.m. at the corner of Dutch Broadway and Corona Avenue. Injuries were reported at the scene.

Hicksville

A two-car accident occurred on the Northern State Parkway on June 10 at 1:37 p.m. at exit 35 S and was moved onto the shoulder. New York State Police and Nassau County officers responded to the scene.

Nassau County Police have arrested a Hempstead man for a robbery and rape that occurred in Hicksville on May 11, 2012 at 11:31 p.m. According to detectives, Anthony Leazer, 28, of 47 Carolina Ave., while at the Days Inn located at 828 South Oyster Bay Rd. and armed with a handgun, robbed and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old female victim. Leazer was arrested on June 12 on School Street in Westbury.  He is being charged with first degree robbery, first degree rape, first degree criminal sexual act and first degree criminal use of a firearm and was arraigned on June 13 in First District Court, Hempstead.

A pedestrian was struck on South Broadway just south of East Old Country Road on June 13 at 9:13 p.m. The female victim was transported to Nassau University Medical Center complaining of chest pain.

Garden City

A Nassau County HAZMAT team and a representative from the FBI’s joint terrorist attack force was called to East Garden City Wednesday afternoon to . The powder was sent via postal mail along with a threatening letter to the One Main Financial Bank, located at 632 Stewart Ave., next to Tin Alley Grill.

Garden City detectives arrested a 41-year-old Lynbrook man and a 31-year-old woman from West Hempstead on June 11 . On June 7, in the late afternoon, a school employee observed the subjects in a parked vehicle in the Stewart School parking field allegedly committing a lewd act while there was a small child in the rear seat of the vehicle. The female subject was also charged with an outstanding traffic warrant from Long Beach.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 12 a Garden City officer was on patrol on Old Country Road when he observed roughly 50 people involved in a large fight in front of the nightclub “Kemistry” on the Mineola side of the street. He immediately called for assistance. Several police units from Nassau County and Garden City responded to the scene. The fight was dispersed and two subjects, a 22-year-old man and 18-year-old man, both from Garden City, were arrested for disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana.

Graffiti was discovered Tuesday morning on s new sports complex. Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the track that surrounds the newly installed turf field, the new press box, soccer field, the back wall of the high school building itself, a small pump house nearby and some vehicles, according to Spiro Colaitis, assistant superintendent for district operations.


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