News

Riverhead man arrested for burglary, impersonating officer

By Vera Chinese

A group of Riverside residents captured a Riverhead man breaking into their home while pretending to be a police officer early Saturday morning and held him until he was arrested, authorities said.
 
Southampton Town Police said Bruce Parham, 50,  entered the Old Quogue Road home through an unlocked door about 4 a.m. He then allegedly woke a sleeping resident by shining a flashlight, announced that he was a police officer and demanded money. The man told Mr. Parham he had no money which caused him to get angry and hit the victim in the head, authorities said.
 
The other residents of the home rushed in and helped subdue Mr. Parham until police arrived. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment for injuries suffered during the struggle. It is not clear which hospital he was taken to or what injuries he was treated for.
 
Mr. Parham was charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal impersonation and third-degree attempted robbery.

Vera Chinese has been the editor of northforker.com and northforker magazines since May 2014. Prior to that she spent two and a half years as a staff reporter for the New York Daily News. She joined the Riverhead News-Review as a staff writer in January 2010 and was named Associate Web Editor nine months later. She previously worked for the Southampton Press Western Edition and was named the third place 2008 Rookie Reporter of the Year by the New York Press Association. She graduated from Wagner College in 2006 where she received a bachelor's degree in English. She earned a master's degree in English education from New York University in 2007. She is a 2002 graduate of Eastport High School and has lived on the East End for more than 20 years.

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