Blotter: Man mugged trying to buy drugs in Riverhead

A man told police he was mugged early Monday morning by as many as five unknown men, who stole more than $500 from him and pushed and punched him, according to a Riverhead police report.

The victim came to police headquarters and reported an alleged robbery, police said.

The man told police he went to a house on Lewis Street to pick up his friend when a man reached into his pockets and stole $517. When the victim tried to run, three to four other men pushed him to the ground and punched him, scraping his elbow.

Police drove the victim back to the scene of the alleged robbery to look for the suspects, according to a report. Police spoke to a witness who said he saw the mugging, but was not involved.

But the witness also told police the victim was walking into the yard “looking to buy drugs” when he was jumped and robbed, police said.

No suspects were located in the surrounding areas.

Police said they will not investigate further due to conflicting stories about the alleged incident.

• Five parked cars were broken into at Splish Splash water park in what police believe to be related incidents Monday afternoon. An unknown person broke into the five vehicles and removed a total of six cell phones, an iPod, a wallet, a purse, a GPS system and $50 in cash, according to several police reports. Detectives are investigating the incident, police said.

• Cinthia Valadez was arrested and charged with second-degree assault after she hit a man in the head with a beer bottle, Riverhead police said.

Ms. Valadez and the victim got into a dispute on Oakland Drive early Sunday morning, police said, when she hit him with the bottle.

The victim needed stitches and Ms. Valadez was arrested, processed and held for arraignment, police said. The incident was not related to the “unruly” crowd that was dispersed by several police departments on a nearby street a few hours earlier, police said.

• Thomas Smith, 48, of Calverton faces second-degree harassment charges after allegedly running into a man’s yard on Laurin Road Saturday and proceeding to punch and bite him, Riverhead police said.

The victim said Mr. Smith ran into the yard after a “neighborhood kid” and started to punch the victim, according to a police report.

Mr. Smith allegedly also bit into the man’s left thigh. Mr. Smith was arrested, processed and released without bail.

• A lifeguard stand was removed from a Baiting Hollow beach Saturday, police said. The stand, taken from Reeves Beach, is worth about $1,500, according to a police blotter report.

• Pedro Gonzales Brito, 23, of Riverhead was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after he was seen driving 80 mph on State Route 27, state police said. He was released without bail.

• Two log splitters were taken from the front of a Home Depot sometime Sunday night, police said. The missing items are worth $2,998, according to a police report.

• Police responded to a dozen complaints of fireworks on Independence Day, according to police blotter reports.

• A Wading River man who was driving drunk with two children in his vehicle was arrested in Ridge, according to a Suffolk County police report.

Jeff Forgacs, 41, was driving a 2008 Toyota on Wading River Hollow Road about 11:20 p.m. last Tuesday with an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old in the back seat of his car when he ran a red light at the intersection of Route 25, officials said.

He was charged with DWI and aggravated DWI while driving with children, police said.

• A Wading River man was arrested last Wednesday in Sayville on a drunk driving charge, county police said.

Jonathan Hubbard, 18, was driving a 2002 Buick about 9 p.m. on Montauk Highway when he was pulled over for speeding, officials said.

He was charged with DWI, police said.

• A Wading River man was arrested Saturday in Patchogue on drunk driving charges, county police said.

Keith Maxwell, 26, was driving a 2008 Volkswagen on North Ocean Avenue about 2:40 a.m. when he drove through a stop sign, officials said. He was charged with DWI, police said.

• A Baiting Hollow man was arrested in Medford Friday on drunk driving charges, according to Suffolk police.

Joseph Hooghkirk, 51, was driving a 2002 Ford on Medford Avenue about 2:10 a.m. when he failed to travel within a lane, officials said.

He was charged with DWI, police said.

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.