Elmont sex offender arrested after 4 1/2 hour standoff

An Elmont man, who is a level-three sex offender, was arrested on Oct. 21 after lunging at a schoolgirl who was walking in front of his home at 236 Fieldmere Street, police said.

According to detectives, at 7:40 a.m., Patrick Rogers, 54, approached the 16-year-old girl, who was walking to school with two 17-year-old girls, and attempted to grab her. The girls ran away and Rogers, who briefly chased them while yelling, told a neighbor, who had come out of his home to see where the screams were coming from, that he was going to get a knife. In the meantime, neighbors had called 911.

Police arrived to the scene and attempted to make contact with Rogers, who was still inside his home. He refused to answer his door as officers asked him to open and a standoff of over four and a half hours ensued. Police had Rogers’ home surrounded.

At 12:21 p.m., officers made contact with Rogers and met him at his front door, where he was arrested. Officers entered the home and smelled an odor of natural gas. They discovered that Rogers had intentionally turned on all four stove burners for what appeared to be an extended period of time.

Rogers was transported to a local hospital and was admitted for further evaluation.

Rogers is charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of third-degree menacing. His arraignment was pending his release from the hospital.