Police

Cops: Homeless man faces 3 felonies in Polish Town robbery

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Update, Saturday 7 p.m.: A 20-year-old man previously arrested for stealing a pickup truck in December has been charged with felony attempted robbery and assault in the Friday morning mugging of a Riverhead man near Sweezy Avenue, town police said.

Monwell Wright — who police said was homeless — was arrested on Railroad Avenue about 2:10 p.m. Saturday following an investigation, police said. Mr. Wright did not resist arrest, police said.

Mr. Wright was charged with two counts of felony attempted robbery, one count of assault and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance.

According to a police statement, the victim — 26-year-old Ervin Guzman — was walking on Sweezy Avenue about 6:15 a.m. when Mr. Wright and a woman approached him near the intersection of Pulaski Street, according to a report.

Police said the woman pointed a handgun at Mr. Guzman, while Mr. Wright reportedly hit Mr. Guzman over the head, face and shoulder with a large rock, sending him to the ground. Throughout the assault, Mr. Wright demanded the victim to give him cash.

Mr. Wright continued to beat Mr. Guzman with the rock until a vehicle passed by, causing Mr. Wright and the woman to flee without any of the victim’s money, authorities said.

Mr. Guzman walked home to call police, and was later transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center with facial, head and shoulder injuries, police said.

At the time of his arrest Saturday afternoon, Mr. Wright was carrying a Desert Eagle airsoft pistol and two prescription medicines designed to treat opioid addiction by applying the strips under the tongue. He was taken to police headquarters and held for arraignment.

Mr. Wright had been arrested earlier this month, after police said he stole a parked car at a deli on Osborn Avenue in late December.

The owner of a Ford F-250 told police on Dec. 28 that he went into Express Deli and came out to find his vehicle stolen, according to a police report. The car was later found and recovered at Gershow Recycling on Hubbard Avenue in Riverhead.

Police said that further investigation led them to 20-year-old Monwell Wright, who was arrested on a felony charge of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree.

He was arraigned on the stolen property charge and was originally held on $500 bail, police said. But Mr. Wright was released from jail on his own recognizance on Jan. 10, jail officials said.

Police did not disclose whether Mr. Wright is a suspect in a second attempted robbery Friday night.

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Original story: A Riverhead man was held at gunpoint and then beaten over the head while walking to work on Sweezy Avenue early Friday morning, Riverhead Town police said.

Ervin Guzman, 26, was walking on Sweezy Avenue when a man and woman approached him near the intersection of Pulaski Street about 6:15 a.m., according to a report.

Police said the woman pointed a handgun at Mr. Guzman, while the man demanded he hand over his money, and then reportedly hit Mr. Guzman over the head with a large rock, sending him to the ground.

The man continued to hit Mr. Guzman with the rock until a vehicle passed by, causing the duo to flee, authorities said.

Mr. Guzman walked home to call police, and was later transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center with facial, head and shoulder injuries, police said.

The investigation is ongoing, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Riverhead Police at (631) 727-4500 ext. 313.

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