Skip to main content

At First He Said He Swerved to Avoid a Pedestrian, but . . .

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 06:39

An East Hampton driver faces D.W.I. charges after crashing into a tree off Middle Highway, a few blocks from his residence, last Thursday evening. A neighbor phoned police after the crash, and an officer found Mario D. Cucunuba standing outside his 2007 Ford pickup truck.

Mr. Cucunuba, 36, told police he had “swerved to avoid a person in the road,” but admitted that he had been drinking, according to the report. Failing sobriety tests, he was arrested and taken to headquarters, where a breath test produced a reported reading of .15.

Besides the misdemeanor drunken-driving charges, he was charged with two moving violations. When police ran Mr. Cucunuba’s fingerprints, they discovered that Southampton Village had a warrant out for his arrest, stating he had failed to pay a fine.

East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky set bail the next morning at $400, which was posted, after which Mr. Cucunuba was turned over to Southampton Village police. They transported him to that jurisdiction’s courthouse, where he paid his outstanding fine and was released.

Joan Henry of East Hampton, 66, driving a 2016 Volkswagen, was pulled over by a town officer on Newtown Lane a little before midnight Monday. Her breath test produced a reading of .09, police said, and she was released without bail after a morning arraignment.

Both Mr. Cucunuba and Ms. Henry refused to take the breath test at the side of the road, before submitting to it at headquarters.

Alleged Dealers at Large

According to a report released this week, two men arrested in Amagansett in mid-June and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, are still at large, awaiting future court appearances.

Aug 27, 2026

On the Police Logs 08.27.26

Late Saturday night, police found a man on Bay Street described as “highly intoxicated” who said he was “attempting to adjust the driver’s seat” of a parked BMW that police said did not belong to him. While he does own a BMW, they said, that one was not his.

Aug 27, 2026

Sag Harbor Teen Found Safe

Update: Sag Harbor Village police said Saturday that a 16-year-old girl reported missing on Thursday had been located and is safe.

Aug 21, 2026

On the Police Logs 08.20.26

No crime was committed on Aug. 12 on Front Street in Springs, where police responded to a report that a man was holding a shotgun. Police said it was in fact a BB gun, which the man told them he uses to scare off squirrels and other small animals.

Aug 20, 2026

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.