Shelter Island Police Department blotter: May 22, 2024
Those named in arrest reports or receiving police summonses have not been convicted of a crime. In court, the charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn or the defendants may be found not guilty.
The Shelter Island Police Department has been vigilant in warning residents about scams. In light of a possible real estate scam this week, the department issued an advisory following notification from a Hay Beach resident who wanted to share a call she had received, ostensibly from a real estate professional, urging her to put her property on the market.
Police told her to remain wary of such calls and to advise police of any further contact and information that may be useful in tracking the scammers.
There were two instances of warrants lodged authorizing police to arrest persons named for an alleged crime. One occurred on May 13, followed up with a second two days later, both in the Center. No other details were released.
SUMMONSES
On May 13, Daniel Schlaegel, Sag Harbor, was ticketed for using a portable electronic device while driving on West Neck Road at 9:39 a.m. during a distracted driver enforcement operation.
ACCIDENTS
A Ford pickup truck backing out of a driveway on Sea Gull Road last Friday struck a parked Subaru SUV, resulting in damage to that car estimated at more than $1,000. Robert Reiter of Shelter Island was the driver and the parked vehicle belongs to Islander William Knight. A minor accident was reported on North Cartwright Road at 6:07 p.m. Saturday when the driver, Alexa Rabinowitz, was turning from Burns Road to head south on North Cartwright, and struck a speed sign on the west side of the road. There was minor damage to the vehicle.
VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC ISSUES
A complaint came in from a Center resident at 9:15 a.m., May 14, about speeders in the area, although none were found. Police said they would have extra enforcement in the area.
A warning was issued to a driver speeding in the Center at 9:45 a.m., May 14.
Another warning was issued in a Center traffic stop that day at 5:29 p.m.
A motorist in West Neck received a warning on Saturday at 8:10 a.m.
A radar enforcement effort on May 13 in the Center found no violators; a second resulted in a warning on May 15 at 5:45 a.m. in the Center.
On May 15 at 1:22 p.m. a warning was issued to a driver in Silver Beach.
The owner of a vehicle parked in a Heights parking lot on May 15 at 10:54 a.m. was alerted to move the vehicle. The owner was out of town, but promised to have someone move the vehicle. A traffic stop in the Center on May 17 at 8 p.m. resulted in a warning being issued to the driver.
OTHER REPORTS
There were two reports involving downed poles and trees that had wires in roadways posing a hazard. The first came in on May 15 at 10:23 p.m. when an anonymous caller reported a tree down in the Center blocking the roadway with wires hanging down. Police alerted PSEG-LI, which had a crew repair the primary and secondary wires and then police notified the Highway Department to remove the tree. Verizon responded to straighten the pole that was leaning into the roadway.
A downed tree leaning on wires in South Ferry Hills was reported on May 16 at midnight. PSEG responded to an alert from police and handled secondary wires that were between Verizon poles.
Police responded to a dispute in the Center between a guest and AirBnb host at midnight on May 16.
Police investigated a report of trespassing on property on Ram Island on May 14 at 11:28 a.m. No other details were released.
A report of a suspicious person on a property in the Heights received at 12:30 a.m. on May18 turned out to be an employee on his cellphone.
Two kayaks were impounded by police on May 17 in the Ram Island area. A kayak was returned to an owner in the Center on May 17 at 11:52 p.m.
On that date, police investigated a motorcycle the owner said was missing from the Heights. They found the vehicle.
A report on May 19 at 7:59 p.m. of a substance floating on the water in the Tarkettle area that the caller thought was oil turned out to be pollen.
The odor of burning plastic reported in Hay Beach on May 19 at 2:20 p.m. was faint when police checked and it dissipated quickly. The caller was told to alert police again or the Shelter Island Fire Department if the odor returned.
ALARMS
There was an alarm at Shelter Island School on May 18 at 11:11 p.m. that turned out to be coming from an Orenco waste water fuse box on the north side of the building. An officer shut down the alarm and notified the listed contact of the situation.
Chase Bank experienced a power failure, which resulted in an alarm on May 19 at 2:31 a.m. Power was restored and the bank was determined to be secure.
There were five false alarms between May 15 and May 18.
ANIMALS
A rabbit stuck in a trench in Menantic was freed on Friday at 12:04 p.m., and a dead rabbit was removed from the Center on May 14 at 11:24 a.m. Another rabbit hit by a car had to be humanely euthanized.
A deer that appeared to an officer to have broken hind legs was spotted in Cartwright at 5:59 p.m. May 18. The deer jumped into Coecles Harbor and swam eastward.
An injured deer reported in Hay Beach on May 13 at 3:45 p.m. had to be put down by police.
The following day at 11:02 a.m. in Hay Beach the animal control officer (ACO) was able to free a fawn stuck in a window well.
The ACO assisted a snapping turtle in the roadway in the Center at 10:02 a.m. May 17 to get to the side where the turtle had been heading.
A dog reported at large was found by the ACO with its owner on May 14 at 3:37 p.m.
Another dog at large on May 19 at 3:31 p.m. was recognized by the ACO and reunited with its owner and a dog reported missing on the same day at 5:35 p.m. returned home on her own.
The ACO removed a rat from a can in West Neck on May 13 at 4 p.m.
AIDED CASES
Emergency Medical Services teams responded to five aided case calls. One patient in the Center on May 14 was evaluated by a paramedic and transported to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. The others were evaluated by EMTs and transported to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
