Blotter: Packaged iPhone stolen from man’s porch

In addition to numerous calls about noisy leaf blowers, loud music, illegally parked vehicles and other incidents, Southold police responded to the following calls last week: 

• A resident of Fifth Street in Greenport reported to police that a Fedex package containing an iPhone 16, valued at $1,200, had been delivered shortly after noon on June 13 but had been taken from the front porch of his home. The empty box found was approximately two hours later in the vicinity of Brown Street. Officers noted a Ring video doorbell on a house across the street and contacted that resident by phone, who was out of town but said he would review his footage. Fedex was notified of the incident.
• A potential scam emerged in which a local physician reported being contacted by a person claiming to be “Dr. Wanston,” a drug enforcement agent, who said someone was purchasing narcotics in the victim’s name. Over the course of a week “Dr. Wanston” and an associate, “Dr. Brown,” convinced the physician to withdraw $25,000 from her bank account, which they would “safeguard” while attempting to secure a new Social Security number, which the victim had disclosed. They requested to meet on the night of June 10 at any parking lot of the victim’s choosing. Officers asked the victim to rescheduled the “meet,” cautioning them not to contact the subjects without a police office present. An investigation is pending.
• Members of the East Marion Cemetery committee contacted police to report that eight gravestones had been pushed over between June 12 and June 14. No damage to the stones was reported, but extra patrols were requested. Officers advised the cemetery to consider installing security cameras.
• On June 14, officers responded to a report of an overturned catamaran east of the Greenport jetty with two people standing on the hull. The police patrol boat secured a line to the vessel and brought the individuals aboard, who appeared in good health and refused medical attention. The vessel could not be righted due to strong wind, so the patrol boat towed it back to its Pipes Cove launch site.
• On June 15, police responded to a report of a black pickup in the area of the Townsend Manor Inn in Greenport that had lost control, become involved in an accident and fled southbound on Main Street. A witness observed the truck stopped near Sterling Street due to front wheel damage; they saw a male subject exit the vehicle and run from the scene, heading west bound near Park Street. The subject stopped when he saw a patrol vehicle and cooperated with officers. The subject, identified as Jacob Skrezec of Greenport, 26, admitted to being involved in an accident and to consuming alcoholic beverages. Mr. Skrezec was observed to have glassy, bloodshot eyes, be unsteady on his feet, have the odor alcohol on his breath. After performing poorly on field sobriety tests, he was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated.
• Police responded June 13 when a man called to report two men and a woman on the roof of the Harbor Front Inn on Front Street in Greenport. The caller suggested they had climbed a ladder to the roof from the hotel’s third floor, but they could not be located when officers arrived.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.