Blotters: Arrest for grand larceny, petite larceny and criminal possession of stolen property

A man was arrested for stealing flags off of flagpoles on Thursday, June 1, according to Riverhead  police. 

Nelson Priester, 37, was processed on two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, one count of petit larceny and one count of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. 

On June 1, at approximately 10:23 a.m., the Riverhead Police were contacted by an employee working at the Laundry Palace on Route 58. The employee said that someone had cut the rope and removed the flags from the flagpole outside and left the area on foot.

Police stopped a man matching the description given by the employee nearby. The suspect was uncooperative and refused to identify himself, police said. In addition, the man was found to be in possession of several of the hooks that were affixed to the flags and the flagpole. After a short investigation, the man was arrested, after several other establishments reported similar thefts of flags. 

Riverhead Detectives determined that six establishments were found to be missing flags from in front of their respective locations, police said. The other locations were Riverhead Auto Mall, the Riverhead Municipal Garage, Riverhead Beverage, Eagle Chevrolet, all of Route 58, along with the Riverhead Historical Society on West Main Street. 

Priester was released on an appearance ticket with a future court date. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is requested to contact the Riverhead Police at 631-727-4500.

• A State Liquor Authority check on June 1 led to three arrests for selling alcohol to minors. The inspections were done in conjunction with the Riverhead COPE unit in cooperation with Riverhead Community Awareness Program (CAP). 

Three locations were not in compliance and employees from each of those locations were arrested and charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child. The following employees were processed and released on a desk appearance ticket: Silvana Aquais-Salinas, employee of Gala Fresh on Route 58 in Riverhead; Piyushkumar Patel, an employee of Riverhead Stationaryon East Main Street; and Mike Clark, an employee of Valero Gas Station on Route 25A in Wading River.

• Sylvena Charles, and address unavailable, was charged with driving while intoxicated early Tuesday on Route 25A in Wading River. 

• Shanice Woodson, age and address unavailable, was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance last Tuesday morning on Osborn Avenue. 

• Nicholas Fisher, age and address unavailable, was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance Sunday morning on Route 58 by Lowe’s. He was processed at police headquarters and released on a desk appearance ticket. 

• Kenu Seales-Howard, age and address unavailable, was charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday night on Warner Court in Baiting Hollow.