Blotter: Sneezing fit nets ticket

The following were among 44 reported incidents to which Southold Town police responded during the week from April 27 to May 4.

• On April 27, after receiving a report of a vehicle failing to maintain its lane on North Road near Boisseau Avenue in Southold, an officer located the vehicle and pulled it over. The driver told the officer he had a sneezing fit, which may have caused him to swerve. There was no indication of impairment, but the driver was given a summons for a brake light that was out.

• An officer on routine patrol April 27 observed a vehicle in the median on the North Road in Mattituck about 1:15 a.m., activated his lights and prepared to conduct a traffic stop. As he did so, the operator of the vehicle attempted to drive away, but was stuck. When the driver complied with a request to exit the vehicle, the officer noted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. In addition, the driver, identified as Allan Mendozanavas of Mastic, 32, was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests. Mr. Mendozanavas was placed under arrest, taken to headquarters and held overnight.

• A Greenport man reported an abandoned trailer in the area of Eighth and Wiggins streets on May 1, saying it had been at that location for approximately one year. The responding officer found a trailer — with no identifiable make or model and no license plate or VIN number — which appeared to be full of trash. The officer interviewed nearby residents, none of whom could identify its owner, so the town was notified. Police said they will continue to check on the trailer in future tours.

• A man and woman from Cutchogue went to police headquarters May 1 and spoke to detectives about an ongoing problem with a Cutchogue man who they said has repeatedly been driving slowly past or stopping in front of their house multiple times a day for the past year. They said he had also driven slowly past each of them separately while on walks in the neighborhood. The couple said they have only engaged the man in small talk a couple of times over the year and have become uncomfortable to the point that the woman will no longer walk in her neighborhood. Detectives said they would investigate by contacting the man at his residence in the near future.

• A Greenport woman reported a scam to police May 1, saying she’d seen a listing on Facebook for an apartment for rent in the village and messaged the potential landlord. That person responded with photos and information and said she would have to pay $120 to view the apartment. After she sent the money via Zelle, the subject asked for more money, threatening that if she did not pay she would be arrested, sued and possibly deported. Detectives were notified and arrangements were made for the woman to submit the Facebook post and any relevant text conversations.

• A Laurel woman reported that her car was hit on Love Lane in Mattituck on May 1 about 4 p.m., and the perpetrator left the scene. She emerged from shopping in a local store to find damage on the driver’s side rear quarter-panel and bumper. Responding officers found what appeared to be slight red paint transfer in the damaged area and attempted to procure video from nearby surveillance cameras, but the closest one was pointed in a different direction.

• A structure fire brought police and two fire departments to Southold May 2, where dark smoke was reported coming from the chimney of a house on Rogers Road. Southold and Cutchogue firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and the Southold Town building inspector determined that the fire was caused by a crack in the flue pipe of a wood-burning stove.

• An argument between roommates about toilet paper brought police to Peconic Bay Boulevard in Laurel May 2. A man complained that he was outside by his barbecue when his female roommate began yelling at him, at which point he removed his hearing aid so he didn’t have to listen to it. This reportedly made her angry, he said, so she punched him in the back of the head. She denied that and claimed her roommate was drunk and that he constantly yells during the night and complains about things being moved around in the common living areas. Police said the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and only wanted the incident documented. They were told to stay away from each other and advise their landlord of the situation. The woman said she planned to go out for the evening. Within the next hour, however, police were called back to the location, where the man complained that the roommate had been moving his pots and pans in the kitchen. All was settled when she showed him where his property was and then left the premises with her boyfriend.

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.