Blotter: Zelle scam reported by Southold man

Southold police received 13 noise complaints between Aug. 18 and Aug. 25, nearly all involving loud music. These included one incident in which a cleaner left outdoor speakers on at an unoccupied Peconic home and another that generated three separate calls in one evening about music from the same Mattituck residence.

Police also responded to eight accidental 911 calls during the week. One of them came from Fishers Island, where a child who heard adults singing along to a song, and “belting out” the lyrics “Somebody call 911,” did just that.

Other police activity for the week included the following incidents.

• On Aug. 19, an 80-year-old Southold man reported a scam involving an unknown person purporting to represent Zelle. The caller convinced the man he’d been fraudulently charged twice, for a total of $5,000, but the man checked his account and said he incurred no loss. The caller was able, however, to convince him to Zelle $2,354 to “Rosel Puerto” to cancel the fraudulent transactions. He was unable to reverse that loss with Zelle and Capital One Bank. A detective was notified of the incident.
• A Southold woman called police Aug. 20 to report a low-flying drone. Upon investigation, the object was found to be a helicopter spraying in the area.
• A Greenport resident contacted police Aug. 20 to report a man inside her apartment who refused to leave, telling officers she had previously signed an order of trespass against him. Officers found the man, Stanley Lawrence, 57, sleeping on a couch in the apartment. After confirming the order of trespass, they arrested Mr. Lawrence and transported him to headquarters for processing. On Aug. 22, another resident of the same complex also reported an unwanted subject at her apartment, resulting in the trespass arrest of George Pope Jr., 28, who was processed at headquarters and released on an appearance ticket.
• Police responded Aug. 20 about 8:30 a.m. to a report of a black Chevrolet SUV driving west on Route 48 at high speed, and crossing over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic near Albertson Lane in Southold. Officers located the speeding vehicle near Ackerly Pond Road and attempted to initiate a stop with lights and sirens, but the driver continued westbound at high speed, committing numerous other moving violations, and pursuit was terminated. Later, the same vehicle was involved in an accident with property damage at Conklin Road in Mattituck, and another officer identified the driver as Glenn Falcone of Patchogue, 76. Mr. Falcone was placed under arrest for alleged unlawful fleeing and reckless driving. He didnot appear injured but was taken to Mattituck Fire Department for evaluation and later released for a Sept. 5 court date. His vehicle was towed and multiple traffic tickets were issued.
• A verbal altercation drew police to the Gulf gas station on Route 48 in Southold Aug. 22, after a St. James man confronted a Southold man, saying he’d nearly struck his motorcycle helmet with a car door while exiting his vehicle. The Southold man ignored the complaint, but the St. James man continued trying to get his attention while inside the station’s convenience store. An argument ensued outside the store and police were called to document the incident.
• On Aug. 23, a 19-year-old Laurel resident reported to police that someone known to him had possibly thrown a brick at a vehicle in his driveway at approximately 1:30 a.m., shattering the rear windshield and causing a dent to the body. There were no cameras in the vicinity, but police took the brick and photographed the damage to the vehicle, registered to the complainant’s mother. The son identified a possible suspect to police.
• Police were called to 58855 North Road in Greenport Aug. 24 for a reported accident involving a vehicle striking a fence in the parking lot. The caller said the operator of the vehicle was asleep in the driver’s seat. Upon arrival, police found the driver, 24-year-old Juan Cano Ramirez of East Marion, to be awake, observed that he had bloodshot, glassy eyes and noted the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. He performed poorly on standard field sobriety tests and refused a preliminary roadside breath test. Mr. Cano Ramirez was arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated, processed at headquarters and held for morning arraignment.
• A possible fight brought police to Washington Avenue in Greenport, where two men got into an argument on Aug. 24, yelling at each other about how to cut the grass properly. One man said the other struck him with his lawnmower, causing a laceration and bruising to his knee. He refused medical attention. The second man said he is often provoked by this individual, who, according to a neighbor, is often aggressive and rude to him. No charges were filed.
• After being stopped by police Aug. 24 for speeding on Route 48 in Peconic, 49-year-old Andrew Persson of West Townshend, Vt., was found to be intoxicated and placed under arrest for alleged DWI. He was processed and held at police headquarters to await arraignment.

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.