Crime & Safety

Crime nearby: Plainview Mother Indicted for Murder

A look at police reports outside of Massapequa.

A Nassau County grand jury has indicted a Plainview mother on murder charges, alleging she intentionally fed her 8-year-old daughter food she was allergic to on the day she was to serve as a flower girl, authorities said

, 31, was indicted on second-degree murder charges in the death of her daughter, Julie. Cirella appeared before Judge David Sullivan in Mineola on the charges and was ordered held without bail.

Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cirella is due back in court on May 3, the district attorney's office said.

Melville

Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A Melville pharmacist has been arrested for his alleged role as a ringleader in a massive scheme to distribute black market prescription HIV drugs and defraud the Medicaid program of $155 million, law enforcement officials said.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced this week that an investigation shut down the illegal operation that was distributing HIV prescription drugs obtained on the black market through MOMS pharmacy, a high-volume pharmacy located in Melville.

According to the indictment and forfeiture complaint, beginning in September 2008, Glenn Schabel, of Melville, the supervising pharmacist and compliance officer for MOMS pharmacy, allegedly accepted bribes to purchase in excess of $274 million worth of black market HIV medications from a web of shell companies, controlled by Stephen Manuel Costa, a 27-year-old Florida resident.

East Meadow

On March 27 at 7 p.m., Helen A. Lonnie-Kohut, a Wantagh resident, was arrested for allegedly stealing $98 worth of items from on Front Street in East Meadow.

Huntington

Police are searching for a suspect who used stolen credit cards to make purchases at the Walt Whitman Shops in February.

A woman reported to police that her purse, with credit cards inside, was stolen Feb. 20 in Huntington. Police say, an unknown black female was caught on surveillance video making unauthorized purchases in Bloomingdale’s and Macy's department stores with the stolen credit cards. 

Nicole Pellegrino from Smithtown was arrested in Huntington for assault with intent to cause physical injury.

Anthony Schopp from Northport was arrested in Huntington for criminal trespass of school property, third degree. Sheila Hertz from Glen Cove was arrested in Huntington for petit larceny.

Glen Cove

Two people sustained minor injuries after a car that was fleeing police crashed in Locust Valley, according to the Glen Cove Police Department. 

The driver fled on foot and is still being sought.

A Glen Cove patrol car first observed the vehicle traveling at an estimated 80 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone southbound on Glen Cove Avenue at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

The suspect vehicle had gained too much distance for the patrol car to pursue by the time the officer had turned onto Glen Cove Avenue, police said, but the speeding car returned 10 minutes later traveling north, "blowing past the patrol car" at 80 miles per hour.

As he attempted to stop the car, the officer recognized the driver as a man suspected in an unrelated crime, according to police.

The suspect lost control of the vehicle in Locust Valley, crashed into a wooded area and ran from the scene, leaving behind two passengers who did not exit the car. They were treated for minor injuries and released.

Police said they know the identity of the driver and are actively searching for him.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.