Someone Else's House

A summer-rental deal gone sour ended over the weekend in the arrest of an East Hampton man on a grand larceny charge. The arrest wrapped up a case that had been open since June.

According to East Hampton Town police, Andrew Barnet, 48, listed his house at 1 Albertine's Lane with brokers for summer rental, then allowed it to be rented twice over.

He kept both payments, police said, although only one lessee was able to take possession of the house, which is in the Hampton Waters neighborhood near Three Mile Harbor.

In Residence

The other, Edward Costello of Manhattan, called police on June 29. He said he had signed a contract and put down the full payment, $14,480, to rent the two-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a pool until mid-September. Mr. Costello had found the rental through Blue Bay Realty.

When Mr. Costello attempted to move in, he told police, he found the house occupied. It had been rented earlier through East Hampton Village Realty, police said, and the other tenant was in residence.

Mr. Costello attempted to pursue the matter, police said, but his efforts resulted only in a letter from an attorney telling him to stay away from the property.

Police "Stonewalled"

The incident was first classified by police as a civil matter, but after investigating and speaking with the Suffolk District Attorney's office, police pursued it as a criminal case.

Police attempted to get in touch with Mr. Barnet, but he had already left for the season - "somewhere in New Mexico," said Det. Lieut. Edward Ecker.

Detectives were "stonewalled" in trying to contact him there, said Mr. Ecker, "and we really didn't know if he was coming back or not."

Impossible To Research

Mr. Barnet did return, however, and was arrested Saturday at his house, after police were alerted he was home. He was charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony.

Bail was set at $3,000, and Mr. Barnet was released after paying it.

Neither of the real estate firms was at fault in what occurred, according to police.

Wyman Eckhardt, a broker with Devlin-McNiff Real Estate in the village, said that when a rental property is listed with more than one real estate office, it is the owner's responsibility to let the offices know if the property has been rented.

"With rentals, there's no way for us as realtors to research these things other than to call the landlord himself and ask if it's been rented," Mr. Eckhardt said.

Say Couple Shoplifted

In other police activity, a Glen Cove couple was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at the CVS pharmacy on Pantigo Road Friday night. Patricio N.M. Hernandez, 33, and Alison L.S. Hernandez, 25, were charged with petty larceny, a misdemeanor.

According to East Hampton Village police, a store employee spotted the couple stealing.

Police said the husband took a Prymatene Mist refill valued at $14.79 and one container of Gynsana, valued at $19.99, while his wife allegedly took a $28.99 package of Nicotrol and a Lady's Speedstick deodorant valued at $1.99.

They were released later that night on $100 bail apiece and will appear in court at a later date.

An alleged paint-pellet culprit was arrested in the Village of East Hampton last week, and police said they believe there was at least one other youth involved in two paint attacks in the village last month. More arrests are expected.

Meanwhile, East Hampton Town police are looking into whether the same youths may be connected to a paint-pellet breakout in other parts of town. There was one incident in Montauk last week, reported elsewhere on this page.

James R. Byrnes, 17, of Indian Hill Road, East Hampton, was charged Sunday with two misdemeanor counts of criminal tampering. Police believe he was driving a dark-colored pickup truck seen at one of the incidents, but said they do not think he was the owner of the paint-pellet gun.

The attacks targeted Elizabeth Gerschel's Hither Lane house with orange paint on Sept. 7 and eight cars in the Huntting Lane parking lot of the Palm restaurant with pink paint on Sept. 13. There was no lasting damage.

The Byrnes youth was released on his own recognizance and given a court date.

Town police also arrested a Montauk man over the weekend for allegedly harassing his wife, despite an order of protection prohibiting him from contacting her.

Edward Koza, 80, of South Dorset Road was picked up Sunday and charged with second-degree criminal contempt after his wife, Gloria Koza, complained he had been "harassing, threatening, and intimidating" her, police said.

Mr. Koza was turned over to the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department.

Felony Assault Charge

A Selden man turned himself in to Sag Harbor Village police last Thursday on a warrant charging him with second-degree assault, a felony.

According to a police press release, on Aug. 31 Joseph K. Leo, 27, "allegedly punched a male in the face and head and then kicked the male in the head as the victim lay on the ground unconscious."

The incident occurred inside the Harbor House bar on Bridge Street, according to police, who would not provide any other details or the name of the victim this week.

Mr. Leo was arraigned in Southampton Town Justice Court and released on his own recognizance.