Blotters: Mastic Beach man arrested on drug charges, resisting arrest

Southampton Town police arrested a 49-year-old Mastic Beach man on drug charges in Riverside Saturday.

According to police, Charles Smith was stopped after a police officer saw him holding an open 24-ounce bottle of Heineken and throwing it on the ground after seeing a patrol car on Lake Avenue shortly before 1:30 a.m.

During a search, police said he was found to be in possession of more than 500 milligrams of cocaine as well as a quantity of crack cocaine, Buprenorphine, and Naloxone Sublingual Film without a prescription, a digital scale and $630 in cash.

Mr. Smith is facing charges of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a narcotic, possession of a controlled substance in a non-original container, second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

He was also charged with two violations and resisting arrest after reportedly refusing to be placed into a patrol car, officials said.

• Vanessa Valadez, 35, of Riverhead, was charged with DWI in Flanders shortly before noon Saturday.

According to police, an officer was patrolling on Evergreen Road after reports of drug activity in the area and asked Ms. Valdez, who was sitting in her running vehicle, what she was doing there.

As she told police she was waiting for a friend, an officer noticed signs of intoxication and Ms. Valadez was charged with driving while intoxicated, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle due to a previous alcohol-related charge and circumventing a court-ordered interlock device, police said.

• A Flanders man called police last Thursday to report that someone fraudulently filed for unemployment benefits in his name.

Police advised the man to activate a fraud alert under all his accounts and forwarded the report to the state Department of Labor, according to a report.

• Alfred Cowell, 41, of Riverhead was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree aggravated operation and driving with a suspended license last Wednesday night on Route 58 near Applebee’s, according to Riverhead Town police.

• An unknown person removed a road sign from the corner of Sound Avenue and Penny’s Road in Northville and then drove a half-mile down Penny’s Road and threw it over a fence and onto a farm, according to police, who notified the highway department.

• Mickey Hill, 32, address unavailable, was charged with petit larceny at Walmart on Route 58 Sunday afternoon. Additional information was not available.

• A GPS and two packs of cigarettes were reported stolen from an unlocked car on Roanoke Avenue in Riverhead Sunday morning, according to police. 

• There were several reports of items being stolen from unlocked cars on Roanoke Avenue in Riverhead last Wednesday, according to police.

• A woman was seen stealing several containers of laundry detergent from Aldi on Route 58 Friday night, according to police.

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.