Assault Charges in Albert’s Landing Beating

Two East Hampton men and a teenager were arraigned last Thursday in East Hampton Town Justice Court in connection with a June incident at Albert’s Landing beach in Amagansett in which, according to East Hampton Town police, a fourth man was assaulted.



Along with two female passengers, the three, Brian K. Midgett Jr. of Springs, 22, JeRae Hayes of New York City, who grew up in Springs, and Mr. Hayes’s 18-year-old brother, were driving toward the beach parking lot at a little before 1 a.m. on June 27 when they passed Cesar Banades, 22, who was walking on a dirt path with his girlfriend, Natalia Rodriguez, and her younger sister.



Ms. Rodriguez and Mr. Banades both told police that the trio’s sports utility vehicle passed so close to them that Mr. Banades pushed the two women off the path to protect them.



“Cesar yelled at the car to slow down. The car stopped right before the road,” Ms. Rodriguez stated. “When I turned back toward Cesar, three guys had surrounded him. All of a sudden, the white guy grabbed Cesar. All three guys started punching and kicking him. Cesar was laying on the ground in the fetal position.”



Mr. Banades suffered a concussion and multiple bumps and cuts on his head, shoulder, and neck.



The three men drove away after one of the women got out of the car and told them, “Let’s go,” Ms. Rodriguez said. She ended up taking Mr. Banades to Southampton Hospital.



Police interviewed the couple on Aug. 1. They were able to identify all three of the alleged assailants after being shown an array of photographs.



Both Mr. Hayes and Mr. Midgett have been charged with misdemeanor assault. They were released without bail in light of their roots in the community but will be back in court at a future date. The charges against the teenager were sealed by the court.



A domestic dispute on Saturday at a Glover Street residence in Sag Harbor ended with the woman involved under arrest on a felony charge of criminal mischief. Sag Harbor Village police said Kate Wheeler, 23, was arguing with her boyfriend, Christian Hincapie, over other women. When the argument grew heated, she picked up a steel bar and slammed it into Mr. Hincapie’s pickup truck, police said, smashing a window and causing over $1,500 in damages.



She was arraigned the next day and later released. Information as to bail was not immediately available.