A DWI arrest, where a vehicle ended up in the water off the Ram Island causeway, tops the Shelter Island police blotter for May 16 to 22, a week when a bay constable rescued three possibly hypothermic people who’d run into difficulty while paddling in waters off Southold.
Note: This post is based on information provided by the Shelter Island Police Department. Those named have not been convicted of a crime, and charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found not guilty.
Alfredo A. Merat, 60, of East Hampton, was arrested Thursday, May 19, shortly before midnight and charged with driving while intoxicated and moving from lane unsafely, according to an SIPD news release.
SIPD was dispatched to a “reported vehicle submerged in water,” said Detective/Sergeant Jack H. Thilberg. “The defendant was transported to police headquarters for processing and was determined to need medical examination and treatment.”
As a result, a volunteer Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services team (SIEMS) transported Merat to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport (SB/ELIH) for treatment for exposure to cold water, Thilberg said. Later, he was arraigned at Shelter Island Justice Court, released on his own recognizance, and directed to appear back in a court at a future date. An officer escorted him to retrieve personal items left in his vehicle, which had been towed by Liberty Auto.
On Saturday, May 21, around 4 PM, a bay constable responded to a report of three people in the water and in distress in Southold Bay near Goose Creek. Two were found clinging to a paddleboard; they said another person had fallen from a kayak and had been in the water longer but was wearing a PDF. That person was found about a quarter of a mile away.
The officer pulled all three aboard the marine unit and wrapped them in dry towels and an emergency blanket. The constable delivered the three, along with their paddleboard and kayak, to shore at Brigantine Drive in Southold for evaluation by Southold emergency responders.
Traffic stops and parking tickets
Officers stopped and ticketed these drivers as follows:
- Rebecca M. Shafer of Shelter Island on Monday, May 16, around 1:14 PM on Ram Island Drive for driving an uninspected motor vehicle
- Juan L. Arevalo Lopez of Greenport on Wednesday, May 18, around 6:18 PM for operating a motor vehicle while using a portable electronic device, and being an unlicensed operator
- Amanda T. Stetler of Greenport on Thursday, May 19 around 6:33 AM on North Cartwright Road for speeding 61 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone
- Otto J. Garrido of Southold on Thursday, May 19 around 6:12 PM on St. Mary’s Road for speeding 52 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone, and being an unlicensed operator
- Fernando Hernandez of Amityville on Saturday, May 21 around 8:26 PM on West Neck Road for failure to stop at a stop sign
- Paul O. Wimer of Englewood, CO, on Saturday, May 21 around 8:52 PM on South Midway Road for making an improper or unsafe turn without a signal
- Lamia Funti of Manhattan on Sunday, May 22 around 6:07 PM on New York Avenue for speeding 41 miles per hour in a 25-mph zone
- Elvis Lorenzo Gonzalez of Aguada, Puerto Rico on Sunday, May 22 around 6:14 PM on North Ferry Road for driving an uninspected motor vehicle
SIPD issued 13 verbal warnings to drivers during traffic stops. A bay constable issued a warning to a boater for failure to display a required registration sticker. SIPD issued 26 parking tickets during the week.
Detailed police blotter for May 16 to 22
Monday, May 16
A Heights caller reported a loose dog; the responding officer took it back to SIPD headquarters, where the owner retrieved it. A person came into HQ to report possible grand larceny. A burglary alarm sounded at a Center location; the owner said the system has been malfunctioning and the alarm company is working to resolve the problem.
Tuesday, May 17
An officer conducted radar enforcement in the Cartwright area and observed no violations. Excessive dust due to sanding tripped a Ram Island smoke detector. The Shelter Island Fire Department (SIFD) responded and declared it a false alarm. A Menantic caller reported two dogs at large; their owner caught them before the animal control officer (ACO) arrived.
An officer conducted distracted driving enforcement in the Center and observed no violations. A person reported a cell phone missing and possibly stolen.
SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH. Around 11 PM, a Center caller reported a dog at large; the responding officer canvassed the area with no success.
Wednesday, May 18
Around 8 AM, a Center caller reported a dog at large; its owner caught it prior to the ACO’s arrival. An officer assisted a person with fingerprinting for employment purposes.
A Center caller said she observed on her home surveillance camera a person trying to open her front door and walking around the property. She asked SIPD to check that the home was secure; the responding officer confirmed that it was.
A caller reported a pickup truck causing a disturbance on the road outside Sunset Beach; the responding officers confirmed no problems had occurred and there was no damage. SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH.
Thursday, May 19
A caller reported a Ram Island dock being removed; the responding officer determined the dock was being removed by the Town Highway Department under an order from the Town Board. The officer advised the caller to contact the Town Attorney for additional information.
A caller reported that someone attempted to create a check using his local bank account; the caller had already notified the bank, which stopped payment on the check. A caller reported that her dog had attacked a chicken; the ACO contact the chicken’s owner, who gave permission to dispatch the injured bird.
A bay constable conducted an Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) check at Bootleggers Alley, and confirmed that six people preparing to fish there were in compliance with state rules. The officer also assisted one driver with obtaining a day pass for parking required for parking near the beach.
A Cartwright caller complained about a barking dog; the ACO assisted the owner in getting the dog inside the house. A caller reported a person asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle parked in a driveway. The person reported he’d consumed alcohol hours earlier; SIPD turned him over to the care of a family member.
SIPD opened a confidential investigation.
Friday, May 20
Shortly after midnight, SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH for medical assessment. About an hour later, SIEMS transported the person arrested in the DWI case to SB/ELIH for evaluation, accompanied by a police officer. Around 2:16 AM, SIEMS made another transport to SB/ELIH.
Around 6 AM, an officer assisted a person who needed help in the home. A Menantic caller reported concerns that tree-trimmers on a neighboring property might cut limbs on the caller’s side of the property line; an officer spoke to the crew who agreed to keep clear of the caller’s property.
An alarm sounded in the boiler room of a commercial building in the Center; no problems were found.
Saturday, May 21
SIPD conducted an ECL check at Bootleggers Alley, found no problems, and reminded the 24 people fishing there to remove their trash when departing.
An officer spoke with a landlord after a tenant complained and told the person not to enter the tenant’s residence without permission. Bay constables stopped a vessel operating inside the designated swim area at Crescent Beach; they issued a verbal warning to the boat operator, who was compliant and stated he wasn’t aware of the restriction.
A West Neck caller reported kids playing on construction equipment; the responding officer warned the children not to play near the site, notified the parents, and put up caution tape around the site.
An officer conducted distracted driving enforcement in the Center and observed no violations.
Sunday, May 22
Around 2:20 AM, a caller phoned SIPD multiple times to report someone in his yard; the responding officer canvassed the area with negative results.
An officer performed an ECL check at Hiberry Lane and found no violations; the officer reminded the 19 people fishing there to remove their trash before departing.
A carbon monoxide alarm went off at a Center location; the caretaker said there was no problem, a conclusion confirmed by the Shelter Island Fire Department. Later, a burglary alarm activated at a store; the owner said there was no problem.
An officer conducted radar enforcement in the Heights and issued one traffic ticket (see details above). A passerby reported numerous vehicles parked at Shell Beach without parking stickers; the responding officer ticketed seven vehicles. A Center caller reported a dog a large; the ACO reunited the dog with its owner, who was out looking for it.
After 10 PM, the SIFD responded to a fire alarm at a Center location and said it was a false alarm triggered by a heat detector in an HVAC room; the owner was notified of the problem. Later, SIFD responded to another false alarm, this one triggered by a faulty fire alarm handle.
To learn more about the Shelter Island Police Department, visit its website, shelterislandtown.us/shelter-island-police-department. To report an emergency, dial 911 and provide details to the dispatcher. For non-emergency calls, reach SIPD directly at 631-749-0600. Send mail to PO Box 1056, Shelter Island NY 11964.
If you wish to register a compliment or complaint about the SIPD or one of its officers, you can find the complaint policy here and the compliment/complaint form in English at this link. While you may file a compliment or complaint anonymously, doing so means you lose the opportunity to be contacted for more information or to learn of actions taken related to your compliment or complaint. You may also submit compliments/complaints to a member of the Town Board; they serve as Shelter Island’s Police Commissioners. Report complaints of a criminal nature to the Town Attorney (631-749-0027) or the Suffolk County District Attorney (631-853-4161).
Si desea registrar un cumplido o una queja sobre el SIPD o uno de sus funcionarios, puede encontrar la política de quejas aquí y el formulario para cumplidos/quejas en español en este enlace. Si bien puede presentar un cumplido o una queja de forma anónima, hacerlo significa que pierde la oportunidad de ser contactado para obtener más información o conocer las acciones tomadas relacionadas con su cumplido o queja. Los cumplidos/quejas también se pueden enviar a los miembros de la Junta del Pueblo, quienes sirven como Comisionados de Policía de Shelter Island. Las quejas de naturaleza penal pueden presentarse al Fiscal Municipal (631-749-0027) o al Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Suffolk (631-853-4161).
