Donations and supplies are being collected by relief organizations which are being
channeled to the country which has been devastated by flooding and wind
damage.
The Elmont effort came together after a meeting which Alfano held with
community leaders and a special memorial mass service where members of the
clergy and Haitian residents discussed the ongoing relief projects. During the
Mass, Alfano spoke to the assembled crowd by offering his support and words of
hope at the memorial mass in front of a standing room-only crowd at Sacred Heart
Church. "Tonight we start a mission that will help the Haitian people that
will bring comfort and relief to everyone who has been impacted by this
disaster," said Alfano.
Sting operation nabs four
Just 10 minutes before they allegedly tried to sell a stolen handgun and
marijuana in front of the Clear Stream Avenue School -- in full view of undercover police officers -- police say four suspects were involved in an attempted murder less then a mile away on Mill Road and Jedwood Place. It began as a sting operation. According to detectives, a confidential informant told police that drugs and a stolen gun were going to be sold in front of the school. The gun was believed to be one of
three that had been stolen in July from the North Valley Stream home of a retired New York City cop.
As undercover officers and members of the Bureau of Special Operations
waited at the school for the suspects to pull up in a white Chevrolet Cavalier, they heard a radio call reporting shots fired on Mill Road. The vehicle that left the scene of the shooting was described as a white Cavalier, police said. As scheduled, four suspects pulled up to the school at 7 p.m. in a car of identical description, police said.
Officers arrested the four individuals: Wallace Cain, 20, of 62 Fieldmere St., Elmont; Shawn Smith, 18, of 79 Warwick Road, Elmont; Randolph Brown, 19, of 27 Birchwood Drive, Valley Stream; and Mario Bellevue, 18, of 15 Birchwood
Drive, Valley Stream. Police recovered a 9 mm weapon and three-fourths of a pound of marijuana at the scene.
Toddler OK after FS fire
A massive effort by firefighters to contain a blaze that leveled a Franklin Square home demonstrated once again the dedication of local first responders.
Approximately 120 firefighters and 12 trucks from the Franklin Square,
Elmont and West Hempstead volunteer departments quickly quelled the Hoffman
Street blaze after a 911 call alerted authorities to the fire at a single-family residence at 10:45 p.m. According to Detective Robert Matedero of the Nassau County Arson Bomb Squad, an initial investigation led authorities to believe the fire was not suspicious, and appeared to have started in a faulty closet light fixture. Matedero said that all five occupants of the house at the time of the blaze, three adults and two children, escaped and were waiting outside the home when firefighters arrived. One of the children, a 1 1/2-year-old girl, suffered second-degree burns to her left arm and hand after the fire spread into the bedroom where she was sleeping. Matedero said that her father, 33-year-old Abraham Thomas, ran through the fire-engulfed room to rescue her, grabbed her and ran out. The little girl was transported to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. After initially being listed in critical but stable condition, the hospital confirmed Monday that her injuries were not life-threatening. Matedero said intense heat rather than actual contact with the fire caused the burns.
Grayson guilty
A year after he was arrested in connection with the shooting death of his
ex-girlfriend's brother, Elmont resident Oriley Grayson was found guilty of
second-degree murder.
According to Nassau County Homicide detectives, the police were pretty
sure they had their main suspect in custody in the Oct. 13, 2003 killing of
Merrick Harvey. All they needed to do was discredit the alibi of the 38-year-old
Elmont man, Oriley Grayson, who had previously admitted to breaking into the
Harveys' Hempstead home numerous times. Following a month-long investigation,
police charged Grayson with second-degree murder in November of 2003. His
victim was the younger brother of Grayson's ex-girlfriend, Catherine Harvey, who
police believe Grayson was stalking in order to try to repair their recently called-off 10-year relationship. Police originally arrested Grayson along Dutch Broadway in Elmont only four hours after Catherine found her brother fatally shot in his basement apartment. At the time, Grayson was charged only with second-degree burglary and eavesdropping. Police say Grayson told them he had broken into the home in order to monitor phones calls in hopes of proving that Catherine was "cheating" on him. The relationship had apparently ended in September, when Catherine discovered that Grayson was sleeping with another woman.
Homecoming
Ah, homecoming! Cool weather, leaves changing, apple cider, pep rallies
and, for the area football teams, convincing blowout victories that make them
major players in the play-off picture.
Elmont displayed the passing game that gave them some major preseason
buzz as quarterback George Santiago went 7 for 9 and racked up 120 yards as the
Spartans spanked South Side 45-14. The Santiago-Casey Mack express was in full effect in the first half, with the athletic receiver pulling down three touchdown passes in the first half. By halftime, the Spartans were up 30-0. Running back Peter Russell rounded out the rest of the Spartan scoring with 111 yards on the ground off of 10 carries, including two touchdowns.
Also enjoying a good laugher was H. Frank Carey, whose homecoming
culminated in a dominating Westbury 42-6. Emerging all-county star, sophomore Matt Zaffuto, outscored Westbury 30-0 by himself, scoring five unanswered touchdowns to start the game, including a return on 48-yard fumble recovery. He also ran for 47 yards and racked up seven tackles and a sack as a linesman. All
totaled, eight Seahawk backs combined for 240 rushing yards.
Friends Academy kept their game with Valley Stream North close until about a minute and a half-left in the first half. The Spartans scored 28 unanswered points starting with Joe Shea's 10-yard run into the endzone. Jason Nappy scored two touchdowns and ran for 107 yards on 21 carries.
Mother charged in baby's death
According to a completed autopsy report, a baby girl delivered in the bathroom of a Fallon Avenue, Elmont, home on Oct. 19 was alive before police say
the mother, an 18-year-old Elmont woman, placed the infant in a plastic bag and then a knapsack, where it suffocated. Now the mother, Jamelia Allen, faces a charge of second-degree murder, and is being held without bail after being arraigned last Thursday at her hospital bed. Nassau County Homicide Squad Detective Sgt. Herb Daub said the dead child was discovered at 11:18 a.m. in the Fallon Avenue home after police were alerted by staffers at Nassau University Medical Center, where, police say, Allen arrived in a cab shortly after delivering the baby at about 9 a.m. Daub said the staffers became concerned when Allen, who was bleeding, told them she had just had a baby.
"There were other adults in the house, but she did not notify anybody," Klein said. "She did not seek any aid for the baby." Police said Allen told them that she believed the baby was already dead before she hid her. Allen, who attended Nassau Community College, has been living in America for at least two years, Daub said.
Murderer walks on most serious charge
Soon after being convicted of second-degree murder, the Amityville man who shot and killed 32-year-old Franklin Square resident Hector Naverette will walk on the most serious charge after the Nassau County district attorney's office acknowledged that the charge was thrown out a year ago.
Now 24-year-old Mario Flores will serve a severely reduced sentenced on the three other charges on which a jury found him guilty. Naverette, a nightclub owner from Franklin Square, was shot three times by Flores on Feb. 12, 2003, outside a Carol Street, Lakeview, home. An hour later, after being brought to Mercy Medical Center, Naverette was pronounced dead. Police say Flores fled the scene but was arrested less then five hours later, hiding in a Copiague motel. Flores admitted to police that he shot Naverette, but claimed that he was defending himself. While the Oct. 20 verdict cleared him of intentional murder, the depraved-indifference murder charge stuck. The problem was that Nassau County Court Judge Donald DeRiggi, now retired, had dismissed the charge at a Dec. 19, 2003, hearing. No one from District Attorney Denis Dillon's office or Flores's defense team had noticed the error until last week. "Upon entering that verdict into our computer system, my office realized that a significant error had occurred in this trial," Dillon said in the letter sent to Nassau County Court Judge Jeffrey S. Brown, who presided over the trial, and Flores' current lawyer, Ernest Peace of Mineola. The murder charge would have carried a 25-years-to-life sentence.
Singh sentenced
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced last week that 41
year-old Roopan Singh has been sentenced to a 2-year determinate sentence for
sexually abusing a seven year old girl in Elmont. Singh was sentenced today by
Nassau County Court Judge Meryl Berkowitz.
"Singh pled guilty to sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D Violent
Felony on October 6," said Dillon. Fifth Squad detectives arrested Singh in the Bronx late June in connection with an alleged rape that occurred in Elmont a week earlier. The victim, police say, was a 7-year-old girl. Singh, 41, was located and picked up by Nassau County Police in the Bronx after an investigation led them to believe that while a houseguest in an Elmont home, he sexually assaulted the daughter of his host. Detective Phil Greco of the Fifth Squad reported that Singh stayed at the house of a co-worker in the construction business on Sunday night, June 27, until the following morning, and that the incident took place during that time. Greco said that the girl reported the alleged incident to her mother shortly after Singh left the residence, and her mother in turn called detectives. As part of his sentence, Singh will also be required to register as a sex offender and was issued various fees and surcharges.
November
Elmont upsets Hewlett, 27-6
In a span of three minutes in the second quarter, Elmont secured all the momentum it would need to upset Hewlett, 27-6, in the Nassau Conference II
semifinal playoff game at Hofstra Stadium. Benedicte Rameau recovered a key
fumble to stop a Bulldogs drive and Casey Mack raced 51 yards for a touchdown four plays later to break a scoreless tie. "It's a big win for our program," Elmont
coach Jay Hegi said. "Hewlett has a tremendous team, but we do too and we
played a mistake-free game."
VSN ends great season
Not much was expected from The Spartans of Valley Stream North as the
season began. Ranked 13th in the 14-team Nassau Conference IV and opening up the season with a loss to Locust Valley, they weren't supposed to be there this
late.
But they were. Thanks to a remarkable seven wins in a row, VSN made it all the way to the semifinals for the first time in 15 years. "I'm still speechless," said head coach Tom Schiavo. "The season's been a dream." The dream came to an end when Cold Spring Harbor scored two late touchdowns to top the Spartans, 19-14.Senior running back Jason Nappy carried the ball 90 yards in the loss, including a 25-yard dash into the endzone that gave VSN the 14-7 lead in the third quarter. CSH's defense took over from there, forcing the ball on downs deep inside Seahawk territory after Joe Shea's one-yard fourth-and-one sneak failed.
Two worker electrocuted
Two construction workers installing vinyl siding on a home on Leighton Road in Elmont came in contact with a 13,000-volt electrical line, leaving one man dead and another fighting for his life.
According to Fifth Precinct detectives, 34-year-old Hicksville resident Santos Garcia was killed instantly, and 33-year-old Jos Alvarenga was flown to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow after the scaffolding they were working on came in contact with the home's main power line. Police said the two men were knocked to the ground by the resulting explosion, which also sparked a small fire in the power line's wiring. While the investigation is continuing, police believe that one of the men may have either hoisted a piece of the scaffolding directly into the line or raised the platform on which they were standing into contact with it. Rescue vehicles from the Elmont Fire Department reached the home quickly and extinguished the fire. Garcia was declared dead at the scene, but Alvarenga was kept alive as a helicopter arrived to airlift him.
Elmont falls to Garden City
It was cold and wet Saturday night at Hofstra University's Shuart
Stadium. The weather was bound to match somebody's mood in a winner-advances, losers-go-home Nassau Conference II championship game.
But even though the Elmont Memorial Spartans lost to defending champs
Garden City 35 - 6, the young men in green had nothing to be ashamed of. They
left it all on the field in completing their wonderful 6-3-1 season. The Trojans were taking care of business early, scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the first half before Spartan quarterback George Santiago (9 for 25) found his game with less than three minutes left in the second quarter. The senior marched his team 75 yards to score against one of the Island's toughest defenses. Receiver Casey Mack, with another gutsy performance, caught a three yard pass from Santiago to record Elmont first score of the game with only seconds left on the game clock. The momentum of the pre-halftime score carried over for the Spartans defense, which held the Trojans scoreless in the third. But GC quarterback Steve Carroll and running back Terence Hartigan eventually broke through for two more scores. The soggy crowd of 500 stayed with the game until the end, giving the Spartans a well-deserved hand for their strong play-off push.
Busy burglars busted
An Elmont man and two others were arrested last week and charged in
connection with multiple burglaries in Valley Stream and Elmont, police said.
Following the three arrests Nov. 18, Nassau County police closed the cases on
approximately 25 burglaries in the past three months in Valley Stream and Elmont,
according to Detective Sgt. John Roden of the Fifth Precinct. Leon Guy, 26, of
51 Fallon Ave. in Elmont, is charged with four counts of second-degree
burglary for thefts that occurred on Oct. 28 and Nov. 5 and 16, Roden said.
Defendants Dina Jones, 39, of 547 Bridge St. in Phoenixville, Pa., and Pierce Rivera, 17, of 25 4th St. in Coatsville, Pa., are each charged with two counts of
second-degree burglary for two thefts that occurred Nov. 16, according to Roden.
He declined to release the exact locations of the burglaries, but said they
occurred in the Valley Stream/Elmont vicinity. Additional charges are pending, at
the discretion of the Nassau County district attorney's office, Roden said.
December
Jean honored by Town
There's an unfortunate saying in the media world: If it bleeds, it leads. We hear all too often about the violence -- the robberies, rapes and murders. We hear about the people who make a positive difference at the end of the broadcast, if at all. To buck this trend, the Town of Hempstead hosts an event every year before the holidays to honor local people we may not notice who are busy making their communities better places to live. This year, the town honored 14 such people, including an Elmont resident who, in her free time, prepares tax returns for free, teaches Sunday school, volunteers in a hospital and tutors children in math. Not bad for a full-time college student with excellent grades. With youth being served at this year's eighth annual Make a Difference Awards ceremony in Hempstead Nov. 16, Cindy Jean, a junior at Hofstra and a resident of Elmont, fit right in on stage. The hardworking Jean has much more on her schedule than most college juniors. She takes part in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at West Hempstead Library, a program that helps the disabled, disadvantaged and elderly fill out their federal and state tax returns.
Elmont board calls for summit
After fielding complaints and hearing the disappointment of local homeowners whose fall property tax bills were far beyond expectations, the Elmont Board of Education passed a resolution at its November public meeting to reach out to Nassau County School District representatives and convene a School Finance Summit.
"Elmont's Board of Education members share the homeowners' frustration,"
said board President Aubrey Phillips. "We see a countywide finance summit as a
way to collect data from our 55 school district neighbors, ask questions and present ideas." The purpose of the summit, as stated in the board's resolution, "is to review and explore alternative means of funding public education in light of the mounting concerns regarding home ownership and its effects upon the school property tax." The Elmont district administration sent letters to the boards of education of each Nassau County School District and Nassau BOCES, inviting them to respond to the idea of a summit. After the results of the initial invitations have been reviewed and if there is sufficient interest, the Elmont board will provide additional information on a meeting date. "We hope that by pooling our resources, we will be able to prepare a position paper on behalf of participants to present to our elected officials, the state Education Department, and organizations whose prime interest is the education of
elementary and secondary children in New York," said Phillips.
Family evacuated after fume leak
When homeowner Reginald Paul returned to his Louis Avenue home, he might have been expecting a welcome from the extended family he shared his house with.
Instead, police say, he was greeted by silence as three of his relatives lay unconscious in the basement overcome by carbon monoxide fumes. Paul called 911 and soon the Elmont Fire Department was on the scene. The rescuers pulled
out six victims: Margally and Bernard Registre, both 41, their son Christopher, 7, were all unconscious, while Cassen Hicks, 29, and her children Jordan, 2, and Soroya, no age reported, were also in the home at the time. Elmont Fire Department readings for carbon monoxide at the house found 300 parts per million, Officer Thomas Brussell said. Carbon monoxide levels above 150 to 200 parts per million can result in disorientation, unconsciousness, and death, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The injured were taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow Monday. Margally and Bernard Registre were in critical but stable condition, hospital spokeswoman Shelley Lotenberg said, adding that Christopher, two other children and the pregnant woman were in satisfactory condition.
Gulotta found dead in ATS yard
Nassau County homicide detectives are reporting that Thomas J. Gulotta,
the son of former Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gulotta, was found dead in
an Elmont schoolyard, an apparent suicide. He was 30.
At a press conference, Detective Lt. Kevin Smith reported that a pedestrian walking near the Alva T. Stanford Middle School at 5:55 p.m. on Dec. 20, caught sight of what he believed to be a man sleeping in a sitting position along a fence. "The passerby went over to the slumped figure and tried to wake him with a nudge," said Smith. "He got no response, but saw blood on his face." The pedestrian, who lives in the area, ran from the Cross Street entrance of the school's parking to St. Vincent De Paul Church, a distance of a few blocks, where he called police.
Smith said that Gulotta was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:10 p.m. The
exact time of death has not been established, but the apparent cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right temple. A 9-mm Glock pistol was found at Gulotta's feet. "We're still checking on the gun," said Smith. "But we do know it was not registered by the victim." Smith said that identification was made when the medical examiner found the victim's wallet, which contained his driver's license, in his pocket.
At a news conference at his North Merrick home, Thomas S. Gulotta said the family now has "a hole in our hearts." Surrounded by immediate family, Gulotta described his son as "wonderful," "loving" and "caring," and said the family would always keep with them their memories of the good times with T.J. Gulotta, who thanked the Nassau County Police Department for its "compassion and understanding," also said the family was feeling "great pain as we grieve over the loss of our beloved son."
Girl stabbed in robbery
An Elmont mother and her 3-year-old daughter were accosted by two men
last week during a home invasion, and police are looking to the public for
assistance.
According to Fifth Squad Detective Sgt. Robert Galgano, the "push-in"
robbery took place shortly before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The 35-year-old mother, who will not be identified by police, was coming home from grocery
shopping with her daughter in tow. After opening the door and letting the little
girl in, she went back to her car to pick up more bags. At that point, she
said, two men, one wearing a ski mask, came out from behind a backyard shed and
shoved their way inside the woman's basement apartment. Police say the woman
was pushed onto her living room couch while one of the men took her daughter
into another room. The woman was commanded to hand over her cash and her ATM card and tell them her pin number, under the threat of harm to herself and her
daughter.
After they got what they came for, the two men ran from the home and fled in an unknown direction. The woman immediately called 911. When police arrived, she said that her daughter was apparently uninjured but scared. But according to police, a cousin who had come to the house soon after the police discovered that the child, who was not crying, had been stabbed. After the girl complained that her stomach hurt, police say the cousin removed the girl's jacket and found blood on her sweater. Two small wounds, which police nonetheless described as "significant," had been inflicted on her upper stomach and lower back. She was immediately taken to Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola. Police say the injuries were not life-threatening and that she was doing fine, although she was frightened by the incident. Detectives are still not certain what caused the wounds or why they were inflicted on the girl. Her mother, who was not badly injured during the struggle, was also treated at the hospital.
