Crimes Nearby: Child Porn Charges, Fatal Accidents and Murder Sentencing

The following arrest information was supplied by several local police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate convictions.

New Hyde Park

A motor vehicle accident with an entrapment was reported in the westbound lane of the Northern State Parkway on December 8 at 3:29 p.m. The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department responded to the scene. One person was aided and a spill was reported.

A car crashed inside the basement of a home on Sixth Avenue at 4:12 p.m. There were no injuries reported.

Garden City Park

A car accident with an entrapment was reported at Jericho Turnpike and Herricks Road on December 10 at 9:57 a.m. There were three persons reported aided. Jericho Turnpike was reported to be shut down at Armstrong Road.

Mineola

A carbon monoxide incident occurred at 393 Beebe Road on December 10 at 6:52 p.m. EMS were requested to the scene to an aided person.

Franklin Square

A robbery occurred on December 8 at 10 p.m. where a 41-year old male victim was walking on Franklin Avenue and Scherer Boulevard when three male black subjects (no further description) approached him from behind. One of the subjects struck the victim on the head with an unknown object and proceed to go through his pockets. The subjects fled the scene in an unknown direction. Proceeds were a cell phone and a men’s watch.  The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Detectives request anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

Roslyn Heights

A car accident occurred on Old Powerhouse Road at the split prior to Willis Avenue on December 10 at 6:37 a.m. causing delays in the area.

A car accident occurred with an overturned vehicle into the woods on the eastbound side of the Northern State Parkway on December 11 at 1:31 p.m., in the area of Willis Avenue. Two lanes were blocked for an accident investigation, causing heavy delays.

Westbury

A care fire occurred at 55 Cantiague Rock Road on December 13 at 12 a.m. Two fire engines from the Hicksville Fire Department responded to the scene.

Carle Place

A fire broke out at the Holiday Inn at 369 Old Country Road on December 12 at 2 p.m. The westbound side of Old Country Road was closed between Cherry Road and Carle Road. The fire was contained at 2:15 p.m. The road was reopened at 2:33 p.m. 

Hicksville

A fatal auto accident that occurred on December 7 at 4:40 p.m. when a 70-year old female driver operating a 2002 Subaru entered a driveway that led to the rear parking lot of Our Lady of Mercy Church located at 500 South Oyster Bay Road, striking Rose Tantillo, 84, of Melville who was crossing from north to south. The victim was transported by a Nassau County Ambulance to a local hospital where she was pronounced by a staff physician at 5:26 p.m. No other injuries were reported. Detectives report no apparent criminality at this time. The vehicle was impounded for brake and safety checks. 

A fatal vehicular accident occurred on December 8 at 6 p.m. According to detectives, a 53 year old male was operating a 1992 Lincoln southbound in the left lane of Newbridge Road in the vicinity of Elmira Street when he struck Leema Karnati, age 48 of Hicksville. The victim was crossing from east to west without a traffic signal or crosswalk. She was removed to an area hospital where she was pronounced by hospital personnel at 6:26 p.m. Detectives report no apparent criminality at this time and the investigation is ongoing. 

A pedestrian was struck on December 12 at 8:03 a.m. on Broadway and Old Country Road. Police reported that the person was lying in the road breathing and an ambulance was en route.

Frank Holden, 39, of Hicksville, was arrested on December 11 by Nassau County District Attorney Investigators and charged with third degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $5,000 in taxpayer money by lying about his job at the United States Postal Service to collect unemployment benefits. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court December 17. Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said that between October 2010 and September 2011, Holden collected unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), verifying with the department that he was not working on a weekly basis. Between November 2010 and February 2011 and again between August 2011 and October 2011, however, Holden worked full-time for the United States Postal Service as a seasonal mail carrier earning more than $21 per hour. While working for the Postal Service, Holden stole $5,062 in undeserved unemployment insurance benefits. The case was referred to the DA’s Office by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the NYSDOL. Holden allegedly used the stolen money to pay his rent and other personal expenses. 

Garden City

On December 6, the police department received a call from a Kildare Road resident that a male subject had just attempted to gain access to his residence through a window. The witness states that when the subject saw him, he fled the scene in a van. The witness provided the vehicle information to the police department. Officer Florio responded to the area and observed the suspect vehicle traveling north on Denton Road. He stopped the vehicle on Jericho Turnpike. Upon an investigation the subject was charged with attempted burglary of the Kildare Road residence as well as previous burglaries on Nov. 27 at a Weyford Terrace residence and Nov. 30 at a Sackville Road residence. The subject is a male 19-year-old from Hempstead and he worked at a nearby business in Garden City Park.

A Garden City Boy Scout leader has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies for possessing images of child pornography and making those images available to others via the internet on December 14.

A Hicksville man attempting to cross Stewart Avenue was fatally struck by a car on December 10. According to Nassau County detectives, Justin Pistoia, 24, of Hicksville was near Endo Boulevard when he was walking across Stewart Avenue in East Garden City. A female driver, 67, in a 2012 Ford sedan allegedly struck the victim around 7:48 p.m.

West Hempstead

A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing one man and injuring two others, including a West Hempstead resident, in an April 2011 shooting in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant in Hempstead. Ronnie Duren, 42, was convicted of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree attempted assault. His sentences of 25 years to life for the murder conviction and 25 years for the attempted murder convictions will run consecutively.