By JEFF LIPTON
of a group of youths on Oceanside's Tilrose Avenue, which neighbors said has been plagued by criminal activity.
The Nassau County Police Department's Bureau of Special Operations arrested the suspect, identified as Jean Infante, 19, of Oceanside, on Tilrose Avenue on Jan. 3 at 7:25 p.m., and charged him with second-degree assault, menacing and possession of a dangerous weapon, officials said.
Three other suspects, identified as Michael Ramirez, Edison Rodriguez and Rene Hernandez, all 18 of Oceanside, were arrested on similar charges days after the Aug. 14 incident, according to 4th Squad Detective Lt. Larry Feffer.
The arrests stemmed from a dispute between two groups shortly after midnight on Aug. 14 on Tilrose Avenue and Stevens Street. Witnesses said eight to 10 teenagers brandishing bats, belts and makeshift pipes assaulted four youths. In the attack, one boy suffered a gash on his back, another a fat lip and bruise to the head and the father of one of the victims, Peter Deering, had a tooth knocked out and was threatened with a gun, he said. The three victims required medical attention, police said.
Even though police were called that night, Deering said at the time, no arrests were made until he contacted the Nassau County District Attorney's Office days later. Because no action was immediately taken by police, on Sept. 5 area residents called an emergency meeting, which was attended by Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach), Town Councilman Anthony Santino (R-East Rockaway) and 4th Precinct Capt. Kenneth Hettler, who is now the precinct's deputy inspector, to address the ongoing crime-related problems in their neighborhood.
Residents complained about open drug sales and gang activity from MS-13 and the Latin Kings, illegal parking, sexual acts taking place in public and other incidents of criminal mischief such as culprits setting garbage cans on fire and urinating on private lawns. Many residents also complained of being mistreated by the officers who responded to their 911 calls.
Hettler promised to get to the bottom of the complaints and pledged to implement a new "zero tolerance" policy in the area to end all illegal activity.
Feffer said three arrests were made in the days following the Aug. 14 incident and Infante was arrested earlier this month. Feffer said Infante "may have been away," which is why it took almost five months to locate him. Police said they don't expect to make any more arrests in the case.
Feffer could not say if the suspects were part of any organized street gang. "I'm not aware if they have any gang association," he said.
Deering said he was relieved that a fourth person has been arrested, but was disappointed that at least four other attackers that night could not be identified. He praised police for "keeping on top" of the area's criminal activity since the Sept. 5 meeting and Hettler's zero-tolerance pledge. He added that it has been quiet since the summer, but that's to be expected because the trouble-makers usually surface during the warm weather to hang out at night and make life miserable for local residents.
"Police have really hammered down on them," said Deering, a resident of Tilrose Avenue for 18 years. "But we'll see what happens when the warm weather starts up again."
Deering said residents have scheduled another meeting with police in April.
Comments about this story? Jlipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
