Blotter: Several boating incidents over July 4 week

In addition to illegal fireworks, accidental 911 calls, lost property found and returned, and one report of children “lost” among the vines at a local vineyard, Southold police responded to the following calls between June 30 and July 7: 

• Two incidents involving boats were reported June 30. A Peconic resident told police that his rowboat was stolen from its customary overnight spot, and showed officers noticeable markings in the sand where the boat had been dragged out into the water. The resident provided photos of the missing craft. A Mattituck resident reported that someone had entered his property overnight and moved items around on a boat docked at the location. Nothing was removed or damaged, but the interloper did leave something behind: an electric bicycle.
• A Mattituck resident reported to police July 1 about 9:15 a.m. that a man aboard another vessel threatened to sink his boat. Officers responded and interviewed that operator, who denied having words with the complainant, and said the man was “constantly” speeding in a “no wake” zone — especially when passing his boat. Parties were advised not to communicate and to contact police if needed. That same evening, according to reports, the brother of the original complainant allegedly sent text messages to the phone of the other boater’s father, saying “I will bury you and your son.” Both parties expressed concerns about retaliation. No charges were filed, but the harbormaster was notified of the situation.
• On June 30, police received reports around 9:45 p.m. of vehicles doing burnouts in the Mattituck Plaza parking lot. Responding officers observed a vehicle doing donuts with no headlights on, but as they arrived, it sped out of the complex and turned west without signaling on Route 25. Officers pursued it with emergency lights engaged, but were unable to catch up, as the driver was going “no less than” 90 mph. Riverhead police were notified and also observed the vehicle traveling at a high speed. The license plate was identified and Riverhead Police Department officers went to the indicated residence, where the driver admitted to being the operator. Tickets for several UTT offenses were issued.
• Police received a report the morning of July 5 from a Staten Island couple staying at a Greenport B&B. The woman reported that an unknown white male had entered their room in the middle of the night and gotten into the bed between them, presumably while she was in the bathroom about 2 a.m. When they noticed him there at about 4 a.m. and awakened him, the man, in his mid to late 20s, appeared “very confused, apologized and quickly exited.” Interviews with the couple included a complete description of the stranger. The proprietor checked with all other guests with negative results and told officers that all entry doors required a special key after 7 p.m. Exterior surveillance video yielded no information.
• An altercation broke out July 2 between a Bay Shore man and an employee of the holiday carnival on Moores Lane in Greenport. During a dispute, the employee, Clifford Welfel of Browndale, N.Y., 57, jumped down from a carnival game platform and struck the other man in the face with a closed fist, leaving a visible laceration. There was a dispute about staffing issues. Police were called and the victim wished to press charges. Mr. Welfel was arrested for alleged criminal harassment, transported to police headquarters for processing and released on an appearance ticket.
• A New York City woman called police to document that she checked out of a Greenport hotel July 4 and realized when she got home that she’d left behind belongings valued at approximately $10,000. She said she had called the hotel and left a voicemail for the housekeeping supervisor to learn who provided cleaning services for the room she vacated.
• The owner of a Front Street shop called police to document a larceny that occurred July 1. The owner stated that a woman between 28 and 32 years old entered the store and stole two tile coasters from sets of four, rendering them unsalable. Police requested and received security footage, and an investigation continues.
• Two arrests for alleged driving while intoxicated were made July 6. In the first, Rommel Reyes Machuca of Southold, 30, was found to be intoxicated and then arrested after rear-ending a vehicle occupied by a driver and three passengers from New York City on Main Road in Southold. In the second incident, on North Road at Albertson Lane, an officer on patrol observed and stopped a vehicle failing to maintain its lane. The driver and sole occupant, Mario Bachez-Reyes of East Northport, 51, reportedly had glassy, bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol on his breath. He stated “I had two beers,” performed poorly on standard roadside sobriety tests, according to police, and was taken to headquarters for processing.

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.