Blotters: Riverhead woman arrested on drug charges following traffic stop

Southampton Town police arrested a 24-year-old Riverhead woman on drug charges following a traffic stop on Flanders Road in Riverside Monday.

According to police, Maria Bustillo was stopped for seatbelt violations and further investigation revealed her permit had been suspended 18 times on four dates. Police also recovered a quantity of cocaine during a vehicle search, reports said.

She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and police said her vehicle was impounded.

• A 39-year-old Riverside woman was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Flanders Monday.

Police said Justine Ochoa was stopped for improperly towing a vehicle with a rope on Chauncey Road around 4:30 p.m. when an officer discovered her license had been suspended four times.

She was arrested for second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and released on an appearance ticket.

• Police were called to the Hampton Dive Center Saturday after an unknown man entered the store and stole $200 from a cash register Friday morning.

The owner told police he didn’t realize money was missing until counting it later and doesn’t want to press charges. He just wants the money back.

• A woman called police Friday to report being the victim of an ongoing scheme.

According to police, the woman befriended a man on Facebook where he  posed as a member of the Armed Forces.

The suspect reportedly requested gift cards to pay for online music between January and May 2021 and the woman made three PayPal transactions totaling $900.

He then asked the woman to write and deposit checks for more than $55,000 into various bank accounts.

After following his instructions, the woman learned that she had been scammed out of thousands of dollars and her bank account had a negative balance of $18,000.

The report was forwarded to detectives, who are investigating the incident.

• A Flanders woman called police last Monday evening to report that an unknown person stole her electric meter off of her residence.

According to a police report, the Quogue Avenue resident reported her power went out and she saw sparks before the subject fled in a black car.

Police reported the incident to PSEG, who responded to repair the meter.

• Someone stole eight wheels — rims, tires and lug nuts — from two vehicles at Riverhead Truck Center on Route 58 last Wednesday night, according to Riverhead police, who say they have continued to investigate the case. 

• A Riverhead man told police last Thursday morning that his identity was stolen in order to get unemployment insurance. 

• Two Redmax backpack leaf blowers valued at $750 each were reported stolen from a trailer at a job site on Peconic Bay Boulevard last Thursday morning, according to police.

• A Riverhead man told police that someone had illegally tried to use his debit card to make an $88.30 online purchase from an East Main Street business Saturday afternoon. 

• Four men stole unspecified items from the Ulta Beauty store on Route 58 last Thursday night, according to police. Additional information was not available. 

• A motorcycle that had been reported stolen from Doctors Path was located by Suffolk County Police in the 7th District last Thursday night, according to police. 

• A gold/yellow specialized 21-speed mountain bike was reported stolen from a home on Ellen Street in Riverhead Monday night, according to police, who did not indicate the value of the bike. 

• Someone broke in the passenger side window of an abandoned Jeep on East Main Street and Riverside Drive Friday night, according to police. 

• A man attempted to steal unspecified merchandise from Walmart on Route 58 last Tuesday afternoon but the items were recovered before the suspect left the store, police said. 

• Two small brush fires appeared to have been intentionally set on Grumman Boulevard last Tuesday night, according to police, who said the fires were under investigation.

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.