Blotter: Five DWIs in last two weeks, all before holiday

Over the last two weeks, a total of five DWIs were reported. The first took place at around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, in which an officer on patrol reported observing a vehicle failing to stop at the stop sign located at Main Bayview and Main Road. The officer initiated a traffic stop and observed the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The driver, Jalen Shelby of Greenport, 22, was found to be allegedly intoxicated at the scene, placed under arrest, processed and held for arraignment. Also on Nov. 22, this time at around 2 a.m., a patrolling officer reported observing a vehicle failing to maintain its lane of travel on Middle Road in Mattituck. After conducting a traffic stop, the driver and sole occupant of the car, Angel Rodriguez of Cutchogue, 35, was found to be allegedly intoxicated, placed under arrest, processed and held for arraignment.

On Sunday, Nov. 23, at around 1 a.m., a police officer on patrol observed a vehicle operating with insufficient tail lights while swerving over the solid white line and double yellow line markers. After conducting a traffic stop, the officer found the vehicle’s operator, David Shepherd of Shelter Island, 27, to be allegedly intoxicated at the scene. Mr. Shepherd was placed under arrest, processed and held for arraignment. His passenger was escorted home by police.

On Monday, Nov. 24, two more individuals were arrested for alleged driving while intoxicated. The first, Maria Perez of Greenport, 50, was observed failing to maintain her lane of travel at around 3 a.m., found to be allegedly intoxicated on scene, arrested, processed and held for morning arraignment. The second, Carlos Campos Chavez of Southold, 26, was observed failing to stop at a stop sign at around 4:30 a.m., found to be allegedly intoxicated on scene, arrested, processed and held for arraignment.

Southold Town police also responded to the following incidents from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1: 

• On Tuesday, Nov. 18, a Southold man called police to report that between 2 and 2:30 p.m., an unknown vehicle hit another while it was parked off the side of NY-25 at Angel’s Country Store in East Marion. He reported that the unknown vehicle either “backed into” or “sideswiped” the rear passenger side of the parked vehicle. The store has no cameras and thus was unable to capture the incident.
• At around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, a Mattituck woman reported that an unknown subject cracked the rear passenger side door window on the family’s Tesla sometimes during the previous night. When speaking with the police, she estimated the damages to cost around $650 to fix. Her Ring camera did not capture the incident, and the vehicle’s cameras were turned off to save battery. A detective was notified of the incident.
• On Thursday, Nov. 20, police responded to a Cutchogue woman’s report of someone using her Athleta clothing account to purchase $154 of merchandise using the credit card linked to the account. The item was shipped to an address in Colorado. The woman stated that she contacted the bank and they would refund her, and that she contacted Athleta to report the fraudulent transaction. A detective was notified of the incident.
• At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, an anonymous person called to report “loose goats attempting to cross Route 48.” When police responded, they found that the caller believed the recently installed snow fencing was acting as the animals’ enclosure. The actual fencing, less visible to passing vehicles, is located closer to the roadway. No other issue was found.
• Another incident of an unlocked car being rummaged through was reported to police on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 9:30 a.m. The Mattituck woman who reported the incident stated that when she entered her car that morning, she noticed items “displaced” within it, though nothing was missing. She checked with her children and noted that none of them had gone through the vehicle. She also reported having a surveillance system, but that the internet was down and it didn’t capture any footage of the event as a result. As no items were taken, she just wanted to document the incident with authorities.
• On Thanksgiving day at 8 a.m., a property manager at Mattituck Plaza called police to report damage to the parking lot’s exit sign. The sign, laying on the grass next to the pavement, was observed to be “completely damaged,” likely by a vehicle sometime overnight. The property manager reported to officers that there were no surveillance cameras on premise that would reach the area the sign was damaged in, but that Chase Bank’s surveillance across the street might have caught the incident. Officers stated they would attempt to contact Chase Bank employees for information the following day. An investigation is ongoing.
• Also on Thanksgiving, at around 5 p.m., the owner of a Greenport convenience store called police to report an unknown white man causing a disturbance. He stated that the man, who he observed to be intoxicated, had walked into his store looking for matches. After the owner told him to wait, the unknown man “became angry and yelled ‘Let’s go outside and fight.’” The owner called emergency services, though the man had left by the time an officer arrived. A photo was taken of the individual in question from surveillance footage from within the convenience store. The owner requested the man be trespassed from his business’ premises.
• On Friday, Nov. 28, at 8:35 a.m., police responded to a report from a Cutchogue man claiming his outdoor furniture was missing. An officer reported to the scene and found the missing furniture in nearby bushes, possibly blown there by strong winds.

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.