Crimes Nearby: Cocaine Sale, Pedestrians Struck and Skimming Machines

Roslyn Heights

A pedestrian was struck at 88 Mineola Ave. in front of Mateo’s on Sept. 20 at about 9:17 p.m. The person was reportedly being aided with a head injury at the scene.

Westbury

A car accident occurred in the westbound lanes of the Northern State Parkway at Brush Hollow Road on Sept. 19 at 7:52 a.m. causing heavy delays.

A pedestrian was struck at Cambridge Avenue and the Northern State Parkway on Sept. 19 at 12:36 p.m.

Two men were arrested for possession of a forged instrument on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. in Westbury. According to detectives, Zafir Deleva, 53, of Brooklyn was in the Walmart located at 1220 Old Country Road and attempted to make a purchase with a fraudulent debit card. He was found to be in possession of seven additional fraudulent cards and a fraudulent New York State driver’s license matching the name on the cards. Mikhail Baratov, 64, of Rego Park, was in the Walmart located at 1220 Old Country Road and attempted to make a purchase with a fraudulent debit card.  He was found to be in possession of fifty additional fraudulent cards. Both men were arrested at scene without incident. They are charged with nine counts of second degree possession of a forged instrument. Baratov is charged with one additional count of second degree possession of a forged instrument with additional counts to be presented at grand jury. They will be arraigned on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 at First District Court in Hempstead.

A Brooklyn man was arrested for robbery that occurred on Sept. 20 at 3:17 a.m. in Westbury. According to detectives, A Third Precinct Police Officer responded to a call of a man walking and acting suspiciously in front of TGI Friday’s at 829 Merrick Ave. When the officer approached Mike J. Volce, 24, of Brooklyn, Volce punched the officer with a closed fist and then fled on foot across the street into Eisenhower Park. Officers located Volce a short time later and placed him into custody. Subsequent Investigation revealed that Volce earlier made a failed attempt to gain entry into a vehicle that was occupied by a 22 year old female victim and her 27 year old male passenger who sat in the parking lot of TGI Friday’s in her 2010 Honda. Volce, who became angry then pulled the victim’s hair and attempted to grab her cell phone and keys. The victim was able to sound her alarm and drove off. The officer was treated and released at a nearby hospital for significant bruising. Volce is being charged with second degree robbery, third degree robbery and second degree assault. He was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday, Sept 21.

Hicksville

Arson/Bomb Squad detectives report the arrests of three males for an incident occurring on Sept. 15 at 1:20 a.m. in Hicksville. According to detectives, Dinesh Arora, 38, of Hicksville, Davinder Singh, 48, of Oakland Gardens, and Surender Bhatty, 63, of Carpentersville, Illinois, while in the basement of 105 Miller Road, Hicksville, were involved in a “Tabacco Treating” operation for the use in hookah pipes. The operation involved treating tobacco with acetone, which created a highly volatile and explosive atmosphere. During the production and packaging of the tobacco, an explosion and fire erupted necessitating the response of the Hicksville Fire Department as well as officers from the Second Precinct. A small fire in the basement of the residence was extinguished by the fire department. No injuries were reported. Prior to the arrival of responding units, defendants Bhatty and Singh had fled the scene. An investigation by detectives resulted in the arrest of Arora at the scene. A subsequent investigation led detectives to the arrests of Bhatty and Singh on Sept. 17 at 105 Miller Road. Arora is charged with first degree reckless endangerment and was arraigned on Sept. 17 in First District Court, Hempstead. Bhatty and Singh are charged with fourth degree arson and first degree reckless endangerment. They were arraigned in First District Court, Hempstead on Sept. 18.

Police are investigating the discovery of a skimming machine that occurred in Hicksville on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013 at 10 a.m. and Uniondale on Friday, Sept. 13 at 12:23 p.m. According to detectives, a skimming device was located on the ATM at the 7-11 Store located at 500 West Old Country Road. A second device was located on the ATM at the 7-11 Store at 1275 Front Street after the ATM malfunctioned. No accounts had been compromised and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives request anyone with information regarding these crimes to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

A car accident occurred at 185 West John St. in front of the post office on Sept. 18 at 8:52 a.m. with vehicles blocking the roadway. Injuries were reported at the scene. 

Three employees of a Hicksville-based modeling agency, along with two corporations, have been charged with defrauding dozens of clients out of more than $250,000 by overcharging for photo shoots, misrepresenting the terms of contracts, and promising clients lucrative roles and modeling jobs for their children that never existed. An arrest warrant has been issued for the business’s CEO. The arrests were the result of a five-month joint investigation between the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and New York State Attorney General’s Office. According to the Nassau District Attorney’s Office since 2010, James Muniz was president and CEO of the Model Talent Development Center (MTD) and New Faces Development Center, Inc. (New Faces) in Hicksville. Between then and New Faces/MTD’s closing in November 2012, Muniz had associates acting as talent scouts in public places and the Queens Center and Roosevelt Field shopping malls, approaching young teenagers and people with small children. The scouts claimed that the child had been chosen because they had a “look” that made them likely to succeed in modeling or acting. Victims were falsely promised that they would incur no costs for New Faces/MTD’s services, and were misled into believing that only a small percentage of those approached, and subsequently interviewed by New Faces/MTD, were actually offered an opportunity with the company. In truth, New Faces/MTD was not selective at all in choosing its clients, but signed up virtually anyone who would pay. Victims were subjected to high pressure sales tactics, and were falsely told that their children would lose imminent high-paying employment opportunities if they did not immediately sign up for contracts costing anywhere from $550 to $3,000.

A two-car crash occurred in the eastbound lane of the Northern State Parkway off the shoulder in the area of South Oyster Bay Road exit 36 on Sept. 18 at 6:28 p.m. causing heavy delays. 

A Brooklyn man was arrested for counterfeiting on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 at 8:07 p.m. in Hicksville. According to detectives, Steven M. Baez, 28, of Brooklyn, allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase at Pizza Cafe located at 526 S. Broadway. Baez fled the scene on foot and was located by officers hiding under a car on Chatham Court in Hicksville. He was placed under arrest without incident. Baez is charged with first degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and was arraigned on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 at First District Court in Hempstead. Detectives ask anyone with information about this crime or any similar crimes to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.  All callers will remain anonymous.

Bethpage

Police are investigating several bias incidents that occurred between Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. and Sept. 18 at 6 a.m in Bethpage. According to detectives, an unknown subject drew swastikas with blue chalk on several vehicles. Detectives request anyone with information regarding the above crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.  All callers will remain anonymous.

Old Bethpage

A St. Albins, Queens man was arrested on Sept, 16 at 12:45 p.m. in Old Bethpage. According to detectives, Kenneth Ferguson, 21, on two separate occasions, Sept 9 and Sept. 11, entered Bottle Values Liquor Store, 734 Old Bethpage Road and made purchases using re-encoded credit cards. The purchases over those two days totaled $3,056.00.

On September 16, 2013 a Second Precinct police officer, while in front of Bottle Values Liquor Store, was stopped by the store’s manager. The manager, who on an earlier date became aware of the fraudulent purchases, indicated to the officer that Ferguson was currently inside the store. A subsequent investigation by detectives, who responded to the scene, revealed that Ferguson did in fact use re-encoded credit cards to make unauthorized purchases. During his arrest it was discovered that he was in possession of two other fraudulent bank debit cards. Ferguson is charged with fourth degree grand larceny, three counts of second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first degree identity theft and second degree identity theft. He was arraigned in First District Court, Hempstead on 09/17/2013.

A fatal vehicular accident occurred on Sept. 19 at 12:27 a.m. in Old Bethpage. According to detectives, Robert Michaels, 42, of Old Bethpage, was walking his dog southbound on Round Swamp Road, when he was struck by a 2013 Dodge Avenger. The driverr of the vehicle fled the scene without stopping. The victim was transported to Nassau University Medical Center where he was pronounced at 1:05 a.m. by hospital staff. The dog was pronounced at scene. The operator of the vehicle Matthew Johnstone, 37, of North Massapequa returned to the scene and was placed under arrest without incident. Johnstone is being charged with leaving the scene of an incident and was arraigned on Sept. 19, 2013 at First District Court in Hempstead.

Garden City

On Sept. 11 police responded to County Seat Drive where a bicyclist traveling south collided with a car door that was just opened. The bicyclist was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for chest and shoulder injuries.

On Sept. 13 detectives arrested a male 42-year-old from Garden City for forcibly entering the rear fenced in area at an Old Broadway business on Sept. 11 and Sept. 13, both at approximately 2 a.m. The subject was charged two counts of criminal trespass.

Garden City detectives arrested a female 22-year-old and a male 31-year-old, both from Elmont, at the Nassau Boulevard train station for possession and sale of cocaine on Sept. 13. The male was also charged with outstanding Nassau County warrants for marijuana possession and traffic offenses.

West Hempstead

A West Hempstead man faces a battery of charges after he slammed into a cop car at high speeds while drunk at the wheel, according to Nassau County Police.

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