Man Gets Maximum Sentence For DWI Crash That Killed Long Island Seventh-Grader Man Gets Maximum Sentence For DWI Crash That Killed Long Island Seventh-Grader
Man Gets Maximum Sentence For DWI Crash That Killed Long Island Seventh-Grader A Long Island man who was convicted of driving drunk into a group of boy scouts, killing a 12-year-old boy, has been given the maximum sentence following a lengthy trial last year. Thomas Murphy, 62, of Holbrook, was sentenced to a term of 8 ⅓ and 25 years in prison on Wednesday, Sept. 30, two years after a crash in Manorville that took the life of seventh-grader Andrew McMorris of Wading River. Specifically, Murphy was found guilty last December by a jury of: Two counts of aggravated vehicular assault; Two counts of second-degree vehicular assault; Two counts of third-degree assaul…
32-Year-Old Killed In Long Island House Fire 32-Year-Old Killed In Long Island House Fire
32-Year-Old Killed In Long Island House Fire A 32-year-old man was killed when an early morning house fire broke out on Long Island. First responders from the Holtsville Fire Department and Suffolk County Police Department received a 911 call shortly before 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, of the fire inside a Pine Street home in Holtsville. Upon arrival, Holtsville firefighters were instructed that there may be residents inside, and they found a dog and the home’s lone resident, Connor Frawley, who was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The rescued dog was taken by first responders to a local a…
Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash
Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash A Long Island man was killed after his vehicle crashed into a guardrail and overturned. It happened Friday, Sept. 11 at about 1:10 p.m. in Holbrook. Edward Keith, 58, of Selden, was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram northbound on Nicolls Road when the vehicle left the road, struck the guardrail and overturned at the intersection of Patchogue Holbrook Road, Suffolk County Police said. Keith was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check.  Detectives are asking an…
Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash
Long Island Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash A Long Island man was killed after his vehicle crashed into a guardrail and overturned. It happened Friday, Sept. 11 at about 1:10 p.m. in Holbrook. Edward Keith, 58, of Selden, was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram northbound on Nicolls Road when the vehicle left the road, struck the guardrail and overturned at the intersection of Patchogue Holbrook Road, Suffolk County Police said. Keith was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check.  Detectives are asking an…
Long Island Woman Involved In Crash Drove Drunk With 9-Month-Old In Jeep, Police Say Long Island Woman Involved In Crash Drove Drunk With 9-Month-Old In Jeep, Police Say
Long Island Woman Involved In Crash Drove Drunk With 9-Month-Old In Jeep, Police Say A Long Island woman who crashed into a pickup truck stopped at a red light was driving drunk with an infant in her vehicle, police said. The crash happened around 11:10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12 in  Holtsville. Danielle Smith,  35, of Farmingville, was driving a 2012 Jeep Liberty westbound on Barretts Avenue with her 9-month-old son in the vehicle when she attempted to turn northbound onto Waverly Avenue and crashed into a southbound 2020 Chevrolet Silverado that was stopped at a red light, Suffolk County Police said. The driver of the Chevrolet, Doug Viola, 25, of Holbrook…
Father, 3-Year-Old Son Seriously Injured In Incident At Long Island Bakery Father, 3-Year-Old Son Seriously Injured In Incident At Long Island Bakery
Father, 3-Year-Old Son Seriously Injured In Incident At Long Island Bakery A 3-year-old and his father were seriously injured in an incident at a Long Island bakery. The incident happened Friday, July 3 at about 9:45 p.m. in Holbrook. Donaldo Almendarez, 50, of Hempstead, an employee at JP Wholesale Baking, located at 331 Dante Court, was at work when his wife, daughter and 3-year-old son, Thiago Almendarez, arrived for a visit, Suffolk County Police said.  Thiago Almendarez reached into a bagel-making machine, causing severe damage to his left hand, police said.  Donaldo Almendarez then severed the tip of one of his fingers wh…
Long Island Man Charged After Fatal Crash Long Island Man Charged After Fatal Crash
Long Island Man Charged After Fatal Crash A man has been arrested after a motor vehicle crash killed a man on Long Island, police said. Donald Artis, 56, of Ridge, was driving a 2000 Pontiac in Holtsville southbound on North Ocean Avenue at Fox Ridge Drive when his vehicle was struck from behind by a 2004 Ford pickup on Thursday, June 18 at about 10 a.m., Suffolk County Police said. The Ford pickup was driven by Craig Smith, according to police. Artis lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree. Artis was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he died from his injuries. Smith, 46, of Holbrook, was char…
Masked Men Strike Three With Baseball Bat In Violent Long Island Home Invasion, Police Say Masked Men Strike Three With Baseball Bat In Violent Long Island Home Invasion, Police Say
Masked Men Strike Three With Baseball Bat In Violent Long Island Home Invasion, Police Say Police are on the lookout for two masked men who allegedly attacked three people during a violent home invasion on Long Island. The incident took place in Suffolk County around 5:20 p.m., Saturday, May 23, in Holbrook. According to Suffolk County Police detectives two masked men entered a residence on Nimbus Road and allegedly struck three people with a baseball bat.  The victims were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the department said. No arrests have been made. As of Tuesday, May 26, no arrests have been made. Police did not …
COVID-19: Drive-Thru Funeral Held For Long Island Man COVID-19: Drive-Thru Funeral Held For Long Island Man
Covid-19: Drive-Thru Funeral Held For Long Island Man A Long Island family found a creative way to say goodbye to a beloved family member who died from novel coronavirus (COVID-19). A procession of dozens of cars drove by the casket of 83-year-old Mastic resident Joseph Kordulak, whose casket was placed outside the Moloney Family Funeral Home in Holbrook, following his death last week. Funeral workers reportedly placed the casket under the carport of the building while the immediate family stood nearby, allowing mourners to express their condolences from a socially safe distance. The “drive-thru funeral” is believed to be the first of its kin…
24 Vehicles Damaged In Parking Lot Of Long Island Auto Repair Shop 24 Vehicles Damaged In Parking Lot Of Long Island Auto Repair Shop
24 Vehicles Damaged In Parking Lot Of Long Island Auto Repair Shop Days after a Long Island auto service station caught fire, two dozen cars were vandalized in the business’ parking lot, police said. Suffolk County Police detectives are seeking the public’s assistance as they seek to identify and locate the person or people who damaged 24 vehicles at Ribeiro’s Auto Service on Main Street in Holbrook last month. Police said that the vehicles were parked at the station, and were damaged by a foaming agent sometime overnight between Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10. The criminal mischief incident took place days before a small accidental fire broke out …
Popular Long Island HS Teacher/Coach Dies At 42 After Battling Cancer Popular Long Island HS Teacher/Coach Dies At 42 After Battling Cancer
Popular Long Island HS Teacher/Coach Dies At 42 After Battling Cancer The Sachem community is mourning the loss of Matt "Dezy" DiStefano, a Sachem High School North teacher and popular volleyball coach, who died from kidney cancer. DiStefano, of Ronkonkoma, died Monday, Jan. 27, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. He was 42. Known as a great motivational speaker who never gave up, DiStefano was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic kidney cancer in February 2019.  After learning of the diagnoses, DiStefano created the Dezy Strong Foundation as a way to help cancer patients "have positive mental well-being." Following its creation, …
Long Island Woman Faces DWI Charge After Crash Injures 10-Year-Old Boy Long Island Woman Faces DWI Charge After Crash Injures 10-Year-Old Boy
Long Island Woman Faces DWI Charge After Crash Injures 10-Year-Old Boy A 23-year-old Long Island woman has been charged with driving while intoxicated following a crash that seriously injured a 10-year-old boy. It happened just before 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 in Holbrook, Suffolk County Police said. Lauren Ortiz, 23, of Lake Ronkonkoma, was driving a 2012 Honda sedan northbound on Coates Avenue when she drove past a stop sign and crashed into the passenger side of a 2018 Honda sedan driven by Lee Kaiser Sr. as it was traveling eastbound on Veterans Memorial Highway, police said. Lee Kaiser Jr., Kaiser Sr.’s 10-year-old son, who was in the rear pa…