Sheriffs: Duo in custody after latest burglary in Baiting Hollow
Coming on the heels of a string of burglary reports in the Baiting Hollow area, two men have been taken into police custody in connection to stealing copper from a home under construction in the area on Monday.
Chief Michael Sharkey of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department said a deputy sheriff was flagged down Monday afternoon by a passerby reporting a burglary in progress at a vacant home under construction.
Town police also responded to the scene near Edwards and Sound avenues about 1 p.m.
The two suspects were later brought into custody, however the identities of the men have not been released.
Mr. Sharkey said deputy sheriffs were working with Riverhead Town police officers to determine what specific charges would be brought against the men, as the departments were working to see if the two have been involved in recent, possibly related burglary cases.
Several burglaries had been reported in the past week or so in the area.
During that time, six Baiting Hollow residents reported incidents of stolen copper piping, according to reports, while one more reported the theft of three flat-screen TVs and other items.
And sometime between last Sunday and Monday over 100 feet of copper wire was removed from underneath a Beach Hill Drive cottage, police said. The resident reported the wire stolen about 9:50 a.m. last Monday, according to a report. It was valued at $400.
Police also received reports of stolen copper piping from another Beach Hill Drive home and a Woodcliff Trail home last Wednesday, from residents of both Neptune Place and Surf Way on Sunday, and from another Beach Hill Drive resident on Monday, according to reports.
Police are conducting extra patrols in the area, authorities said.
According to Riverhead Lt. David Lessard, no arrests had been made in the other burglaries.
