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Drivers Face Felony Charges

Thu, 04/11/2024 - 12:19

East Hampton Town police have levied felony charges against three drivers on local roads within the last two weeks.

Shortly before 11 last Thursday night, officers stopped Gregg Weinstein of Montauk, 58, saying he had made an improper right turn and veered out of his lane. He showed signs of drunkenness and performed poorly on roadside sobriety tests, police said. He was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated, one of them a misdemeanor and the other a felony charge related to his having only a conditional driver’s license.

Mr. Weinstein was arraigned on Friday morning by East Hampton Town Justice David Filer, who released him on his own recognizance to await a May 16 court date.

Police spotted Jonathan Javier Villaguaman of East Hampton, 28, “crossing over the double yellow lines multiple times” on March 30, as he was southbound on Springs-Fireplace Road shortly after midnight. He too was reported to have appeared intoxicated, and performed poorly on sobriety tests, according to the official report.

The charges, D.W.I. and driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 of 1 percent or more, were both elevated to the felony level because Mr. Villaguaman had been convicted on that charge in Southampton Justice Court in 2017. He was arraigned later that morning by Justice Filer, who released him on his own recognizance to await a court date on Wednesday.

Later that day, Joseph Mangano of Bohemia, 28, was said to have caused more than $250 in damage when he allegedly broke the gear-shift lever and keyed the exterior of a 2005 Dodge Durango during a confrontation with an unnamed individual on Montauk Highway in Montauk.

This led to a charge of third-degree criminal mischief, a felony. Mr. Mangano was also charged with second-degree harassment, a violation, for reportedly slapping the face of a woman whose name was redacted from the report. He was held overnight for a morning arraignment, at which time Justice Steven Tekulsky released him on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on Wednesday and is being represented by Legal Aid.

On the Police Logs 03.20.25

Police at first thought that the water reported to be flowing onto Church Street last Thursday afternoon came from a water main break, but found upon arriving at the scene that it was being pumped from a nearby swimming pool, a violation of the village code.

Mar 20, 2025

Coordinated Response Brought Fires Under Control

As winds out of the northwest gusted at near 40 miles per hour early Saturday, it didn’t take long for the embers from a fire that began around 9:30 a.m. in a Manorville backyard, “following an attempt to make s’mores,” to ignite multiple brush fires that would grow to burn 600 acres in the Westhampton pine barrens. Suffolk County police arson detectives reached the conclusion after first reviewing 911 call from the hours leading up to the incident.

Mar 13, 2025

Ups and Downs in Annual Police Report

East Hampton Town police made fewer overall arrests last year, but more arrests for driving while intoxicated — another year that has led Chief Michael Sarlo to say that “we live in an extremely safe community.” 

Mar 13, 2025

On the Police Logs 03.13.25

Low-flying drones were reported flying over Deep Hollow Ranch on the evening of March 3. Police saw their lights blinking red and white, but no action was taken. 

Mar 13, 2025

 

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