Blotter: Riverhead woman faces drug charge following traffic stop

A Riverhead woman was arrested Sunday evening for criminal possession of a controlled substance, police reports said.

Sophonia Reeder, 50, was stopped at the intersection of Marcy and Osborn avenues around 11:30 a.m. after violating a stop sign, police said. She allegedly told police she stopped at the BP Gas Station on West Main Street and was on her way home from work.

Upon further investigation, police found a number of small white rocks, suspected to be crack cocaine, in the center console of her vehicle. A field test of one of the granules tested positive for the presence of narcotics, reports said.

Ms. Reeder was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, both misdemeanors, and an additional traffic violation. She was transported to police headquarters for processing and released with a ticket, reports said. Evidence recovered at the scene was processed and forwarded to the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory for further analysis.

• Julio Cruz, 38, of Riverhead was arrested for harassment Saturday morning in Riverhead, police reports said.

Around 1:40 a.m., a witness reported a domestic incident at a home on Horton Avenue. When police arrived at the home, a female victim stated she was in a physical and verbal dispute with her boyfriend, Mr. Cruz, who fled from the scene in an unknown direction.

Police immediately searched the area but could not find Mr. Cruz, reports said. A domestic incident report was filed and charges against Mr. Cruz were prepared by police.

Shortly after the report was filed, Mr. Cruz was reported to have returned to the area and he was arrested, police said. He was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a violation. He was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters for processing and was held for arraignment.

• A Moriches man was arrested in Calverton Friday morning for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Travis Abinette, 30, was operating a 2011 Toyota Prius when he was stopped for a traffic infraction on Hulse Landing Road. Upon further investigation, police found Mr. Abinette was driving without a license.

Mr. Abinette was arrested at approximately 8:46 a.m. and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and one additional traffic violation.

• William Christiansen, 63, of Westhampton was arrested at the Riverhead Home Depot Friday for petit larceny, reports said.

Around 3 p.m., Home Depot staff reported that Mr. Christiansen removed several items, valued at $144, from the store without paying, police reports said. While on the scene, police recovered black pliers from Mr. Christiansen, reports said.

Mr. Christiansen was arrested, charged with petit larceny and possession of burglary tools, both misdemeanors. He was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters and while being processed, police recovered two packets of suboxone and a prescription from his wallet. All substances were placed into police property, reports said. The case is still being investigated.

• Police responded to a report of a commercial alarm at Luminati Aerospace early last Tuesday morning, reports said.

Police responded to the alarm that sounded at approximately 1:55 a.m. at the Calverton location. Police checked the exterior of the building and found a south-facing door padlocked and partially open; however, the building was not accessible through the door and the rest of the establishment was secure. The owner of the property was unavailable to respond, reports said.

• Police are investigating a report of larceny that occurred Monday morning at a sod farm in Calverton, reports said.

The homeowner reported that around 7:25 a.m., an unknown male entered the sod field behind his property on Deep Hole Road and began to remove scrap metal from his backyard. The homeowner approached the subject and asked him to put down the metal and leave. The suspect laughed, continued to load scrap metal into his dark blue Dodge pickup truck and drove away, reports said.

The homeowner was unable to obtain the license plate of the man’s vehicle and told police he does not have video surveillance on the property.

Police reports said the vehicle description seems consistent with the vehicle involved in another nearby larceny, but that has not yet been confirmed. A suspect has not been found but was described as a thin, white male in his early 20s. He would be charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

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.