By JOSEPH KELLARD
Two local teenagers thought they could, at least for one night, be above the law. They were wrong.
Kenneth G. Weinberger, 19, of Lakeview Drive in Hewlett and William Aronin, 18, of Lafayette Place in Woodmere were arrested early last Sunday morning as they emerged from 24 Hour Bagel on Long Beach Road after using fake badges, a gun, handcuffs and a flashlight to impersonate police officers and hassle motorists in Oceanside and Hewlett Harbor, police said.
The first incident occurred when Weinberger, operating a Mitsubishi Galant with Massachusetts license plates, intentionally cut off and stopped a vehicle on Harbor Road in Hewlett Harbor at 12:30 a.m. last Sunday. Weinberger exited his vehicle and approached the other car wearing a gold badge around his neck and a handgun in his waistband, as Aronin stood on the passenger's side of the vehicle. Though they were wearing civilian clothes, Weinberger identified himself and Aronin as Nassau County police officers.
Weinberger conducted a phony license check of the operator of the other vehicle, Brandon Firestone, 18, of Hewlett Harbor, who handed him his driver's license, registration and insurance cards, police said.
At the time, the victim complied but became suspicious, and following the incident reported the incident to the Fourth Precinct, said Detective Sgt. Kevin Smith, at a press conference on Monday. Smith added that Firestone was suspicious of the suspects' age and the fact that their car had Massachusetts plates.
Weinberger and Aronin drove to Dot Court at the front of Oceanside Park at 1:15 a.m. and approached another vehicle that was parked on the street. Once again wearing a badge and displaying a gun in his waistband, Weinberger asked the victim, Frank Crowley, 22, of Oceanside, for his driver's license, registration and insurance cards. In both incidents, Weinberger went back to his car pretending to check the status of the cards.
He questioned the driver about what he was doing in the park. Questioned whether he was taking drugs or drinking alcohol, Smith said. At that time, the victim complied and was also suspicious about the age of the subjects.
Crowley contacted the Fourth Precinct to ask if there were any detectives driving a Mitsubishi with Massachusetts license plates.
When Weinberger and Aronin were leaving 24 Hour Bagel on Long Beach Road at 1:47 a.m., they were approached by an officer on patrol in the area who was alerted about the suspects.
When the two subjects came out [of the bagel store], they were with a couple of other people, got into another car and were stopped, Smith said.
The officer found Weinberger in possession of a gold badge, a photo identification card, a forged instrument (for the ID card) and a pair of handcuffs, hanging from his belt. A BB gun was recovered from the glove compartment of the Mitsubishi.
Smith said that police are investigating where the teens obtained their fake badges and ID cards, and said that they attend Tufts and Cornell universities. Police also said they are still investigating the incident and the motives of the suspects.
Both Weinberger and Aronin were charged with two counts of second-degree criminal impersonation, and Weinberger was also charged with two counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument, a D felony.
The mother of one of the victims said the focus should be on the kids [suspects] and trying to get to the bottom of why they did this.
The feeling that this leaves you with is how do you know that the next time you are pulled over if it is real [cops] or not real? It's a traumatic experience.
