Police

Southold Town Police Reports: Greenport man crashed while high on drugs

A Greenport man was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs after he rear-ended another vehicle at a red light in Southold last Tuesday evening, police said.

Frank Rizzo Jr., 42, crashed a 2012 Honda SUV into the back of a Volkswagen coupe waiting at the intersection of Route 48 and Wickham Avenue about 5:50 p.m., according to an accident report.

Police were called to the scene and found that Mr. Rizzo’s speech was slurred and he was “unsteady on his feet,” police said. He admitted to police that he had used Xanax earlier in the day, according to a police report.

Police found that Mr. Rizzo’s license had previously been suspended at least 10 times, according to the report.

Police said Mr. Rizzo was “lethargic” and “very disoriented.” He failed a field sobriety test and was arrested.

After taking a blood test, Mr. Rizzo was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He was held at police headquarters pending arraignment.

• Police reported that deer were the cause of 12 accidents across Southold Town last week. Though no injuries were reported, a woman sideswiped a utility pole in Southold while trying to avoid a deer Sunday.

The deer ran out onto Skunk Lane about 5:15 p.m. as the woman was headed south in a 2004 Toyota sedan, according to a police report. She swerved on the road, missing the deer but scraping against a nearby utility pole before skidding to a stop down the road, police said.

LIPA was notified to fix the pole and the vehicle was towed from the scene, police said. The woman was unharmed.

• A 46-year-old Laurel woman allegedly stole cash and tomatoes from a Greenport farm stand last Tuesday, according to police arrest reports.

Officers were called to Farmer Joe’s farm stand on Albertson Lane about 12:45 p.m. after the owner reported money had been taken from his cash box. The victim told police he saw a “small black sedan with a spoiler and loud exhaust” leaving the area at the time of the theft.

Police searched the area and about 20 minutes later stopped Cheryl Gormez on Route 48 in Peconic for a traffic violation. While being questioned, Ms. Gormez admitted to stealing tomatoes from the farm stand.

She was arrested and charged with petit larceny and released for a future court date. The stolen goods were photographed by police as evidence and returned to the farm stand.

• A Cutchogue teen is facing a felony forgery charge after he was caught driving with a phony registration in Northampton last Tuesday, Southampton Town police said.

Police spotted Bahri Erdogan, 19, driving a Volkswagen Jetta with tinted windows on Wildwood Trail near Lake Avenue about 2 p.m., according to a police report. He was pulled over in Speonk, where police found the temporary registration on his insured car was forged, police said.

Mr. Erdogan was arrested and charged with felony forgery and several traffic violations, according to the report. His car was impounded by police.

The above information was supplied by the Southold Town and Southampton Town Police Department. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate convictions.

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