News: Caregiver Sentenced for Death of Long Island Client

(Long Island, N.Y.) A forty-one-year-old employee of the Woods Services facility for care-dependent residents was sentenced on Monday to 2-5 years in prison. A judged ruled her responsible for involuntary manslaughter in the death of twenty-year-old Oceanside native Bryan Nevins. Nevins was heavily autistic and was trapped inside a minivan amidst ninety-seven degree temperatures during the peak of last year’s summer.

The aide on duty and responsible for Nevins was on her cell phone during calls that amounted to three hours of her eight-hour shift (7am-3pm). Thirty-four calls were made in addition to seventy-one text messages; 87 out of 189 minutes were spent talking to her boyfriend. The most devastating aspect of this negligence was the forty-minute phone call made to her boyfriend during the critical hour that could have saved Nevins’ life.

Nevins was trapped in the back of the company’s maroon Kia Sedona minivan for four hours before nurses scheduled to give him his medication noticed he was missing. It took an hour of searching before they discovered his body; the estimated temperature inside the vehicle was between 125-130 degrees Fahrenheit. Medical personnel claim that it would have only taken between sixty and ninety minutes for death to occur.

Prior to his tragic death, Nevins was escorted to the water park at Sesame Place with two aides and three other residents of Woods Services. The driver of the minivan was the woman charged in the crimes against him. She made a phone call to Woods Services at 11:10am to inform them that she’d be returning early because Nevins had been biting and scratching; this, authorities say, was the only work-related phone call.

Before returning they stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch, during which the aide was gone for twelve minutes to use her cell phone. Woods Services claimed to have a strict policy against cell phones for personal use, and claimed that the aide was reprimanded three times in the past for using her phone for reasons other than work. The residents at Woods Services are often behaviorally challenged, disabled, and intellectually compromised and require extreme care; some, like Nevins, have the mental capacity of a two-year-old.

Nevins was able to walk but was not verbal, and required the attention of staff at all times. The aid charged in this case claims she had not been assigned responsibility for his care and that she made sure the van was empty upon returning. Witnesses at the facility disagree, saying she was clearly assigned to be responsible for Nevins; many question why Woods Services didn’t keep better records of who was assigned to each client.

Nevins’ father is a former New York City Detective once given high-profile cases such as the Wendy’s Massacre. Nevins was a triplet, and his brother was also a resident of Woods Services. Nevins’ father says he must relive his son’s tragedy daily when his surviving son, who has the mental capacity of a five year old, asks about his brother. Nevins’ sister, who is not autistic, planned on working with special needs individuals and providing her brothers with home care. She visited her brothers weekly and claims to have suffered from PTSD following Nevins’ death.

Nevins lived at the facility since he was fourteen. Woods Services made the news less than a year prior to Nevins’ tragedy when a seventeen-year-old resident from Long Island was killed after he fled grounds and fell/jumped from an overpass. Reports also surfaced last year about an employee selling cocaine from the company’s parking lot. Though the company has been cleared of wrongdoing following investigation, these events have caused Nassau and Suffolk Counties to pull their eleven other residents from the facility.

News: Seals Take Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) Last week an adult harp seal came back to the Long Island Sound after making it all the way to the shores of Fairfield, Connecticut. It was monitored by the Fairfield Animal Control Center when it made an appearance near a country club in Sasco Beach. This is one of many seal sightings to happen recently in the Long Island and tri-state area.

Harp seals are gray with black faces and large black spots on their bodies. This particular seal, though healthy, was noted to have conjunctivitis in its right eye. Witnesses said the seal repeatedly came on and off the shore before managing to catch a large fish.

Frequently, seals that wash up on the shoreline are easily stressed, and are often sick or dying. Therefore, it’s important that they are not disturbed by people or their pets. The law requires beachgoers to stay a hundred feet away from these protected animals, which can be dangerous to pets (and vice versa) due to the transmittance of animal pathogens.

It’s not uncommon for seals to reach the shoreline of Connecticut in early Spring; an estimated 4-5 seals do so yearly. Though they usually stay close to Canada, at least six seals have been spotted in a week between the shores of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Some reasons for the heightened number of seal-spotting could be the presence of a food source, a boost in the seal population, or repeated sightings of the same seal.

Another instance of seal findings on Long Island occurred at Montauk State Park. An abandoned baby seal was spotted on February 12th with its umbilical cord still attached to its body. Unfortunately, the seal perished last week from an ongoing respiratory infection.

The baby seal, named “Ozzy”, was only thirty-five pounds and three feet long, and in desperate need of the nutrient value found naturally in its mother’s milk. Ozzy was transported from Montauk to the Long Island Research Facility headquarters in the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation for safety. He was only a day or two old when a biologist took him into custody.

In addition to the respiratory infection, which was believed to be pneumonia, Ozzy may have suffered from multiple rib fractures. During his stay at Atlantis Aquarium a team of biologists administered antibiotics, fluids, and ground fish around the clock via a feeding tube. Despite constant monitoring of his blood levels, biologists were dismayed to find that Ozzy’s condition never improved.

Seal pups are usually born in February to mid-March in areas like Greenland and Newfoundland, and immediately begin to gorge on their mother’s milk. They gain about five pounds per day for about two weeks. Then they are separated from their mothers, left to fend for themselves, and can lose up to half of their body weight post-separation. Though the infant mortality rate for seals is very high at roughly 50%, adult male seals can weigh eight hundred pounds and grow six feet in length.

A three-hundred pound male “hoodie” seal was found at Salisbury Beach on Valentine’s Day and a similar-sized seal was recently found in Massachusetts. It stayed in the area for an entire day without moving much before returning to the sea. Experts say that the seal was not necessarily sick, but it’s often that seals display unusual behavior in the presence of humans; some seals are known to eat sand.

Seals aren’t normally defensive animals but they are capable of biting. Workers of local marine centers urge the public to call authorities or the Animal Control Center in the instance of seal findings. As for Ozzy, biologists plan on conducting an autopsy to see if he suffered any other unknown ailments before giving him a proper burial and alerting the four-hundred friends added to his Facebook page.

News: Bomb Threat in Long Island School

(Long Island, N.Y.) A bomb threat caused students of Garden City High School to be evacuated from school grounds. The students were moved to the nearby St. Paul’s school at roughly ten minutes after ten this morning. This is the second bomb scare to hit the school in less than two weeks.

The first threat, back on Tuesday, March 1st, caused a lockdown/lockout of the school between the hours of nine and eleven that morning. The Garden City Police Department was called to investigate the area and search the school for potential dangers. A full building check was made immediately following the notification.

Eventually, the threat was found to be not credible or specific enough to cause further alarm and the students resumed a normal day of classes. Nonetheless, emergency vehicles were alerted on standby in case there was reason for evacuation. Because there was no impending harm during the incident, many dubbed it a prime example for safety drill practice.

During the March 1st incident, students were held in their classrooms, which is what is called for in the state of a lockdown. A lockout, however, signifies that no one is allowed to enter or leave the building, including parents who wish to collect their children from school. Though there were no intruders, school personnel urge parents not to call the school for requests of information. Instead, they instruct parents to check their website for updates and the status of the school’s safety level.

The superintendent of the school district claimed to have been in touch with the police commissioner every thirty minutes on the morning of the March 1st incident. Though many parents complained about the decision not to evacuate over a week ago, the superintendent maintains that school districts must adhere to state issued guidelines concerning the standard procedures in the case of threats. The State Safety Guidelines are set up by the State Education Department, the State Police, the State Office of Homeland Security, and the State Emergency Management Office.

In today’s incident the threat was supposedly written inside the girl’s bathroom prior to the decision to evacuate students to St. Paul’s school on Rockaway Avenue. The superintendent emailed an alert to parents of the school district’s students. Once again, the Garden City Police Department was called to investigate and secure the area.

The Garden City Fire Department was also called this time to aid police in a building search. Though there were no reports of an intruder, damage, or injuries, the repetitive nature of the threat had authorities on heightened alert. Because the investigation is ongoing, there is information that school personnel and authorities cannot disclose to the public.

Luckily, the threat was once again deemed not credible, and students returned to a normal schedule a little past one in the afternoon to finish out their school day. Many parents and school staff appreciate the efforts made by the police and firefighters for the immediate action taken to ensure students’ safety. The Garden City Police Department, with new staff additions and department changes, is proud to be at its lowest rate of overtime in recent years.

News: Bizarre Accidents on Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) A minivan crashed into a home in North Bellport last Friday night when the driver lost control after experiencing diabetic shock. A fifteen-year-old boy named Mario Arriaza suffered a minor cut on his hand, after being struck by the vehicle while sitting on his couch. Earlier that day, he and his younger brother met their local congressman in celebration of his oath of citizenship.

Arriaza was watching television when the incident occurred at roughly a quarter to eight last Friday. The minivan entered his living room after crashing through his home on Tarpon Street in North Bellport. He later discovered that the vehicle was a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

Initially, the van hit a Jeep parked in the driveway, while also colliding with an additional car. The Jeep was pushed into the living room upon contact, and two-by-fours fell from the ceiling onto the wall near the television. Arriaza was lucky to avoid the impact of their fall.

The fifteen-year-old’s parents were very proud of their son for his citizenship and ability to avoid danger. They claimed to have been on the verge of tears that day, while taking many pictures to celebrate the achievement. Though Arriaza wanted to go out with friends that weekend, they told him it would be safer to stay at home.

This story is almost as bizarre as the incident of drag racing that occurred in the wee hours of last Thursday morning. Two young drivers crashed their vehicles after being clocked doing 145mph on the Long Island Expressway. A twenty-year-old male was driving a 2005 Dodge Neon SRT with two other passengers when he crashed it into a Gulf gas station pump.

The twenty-one-year old driver crashed his yellow 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo into the fence of a Hooter’s restaurant in Islandia. There was another passenger in the vehicle and the Hooter’s was located across the street from the gas pump where the Dodge exploded. Both cars had been traveling westbound and exited by Exit 58 and Exit 61 in Holbrook when they attempted to evade a police cruiser.

Miraculously, only one of the passengers experienced a minor concussion. The driver of the Dodge was held on $75,000 cash bail, an attempt of the judge to set an example out of the recklessness of the crime. Family and friends of the driver allegedly stormed out of the courtroom in response to the steepness of the bail.

The officer that clocked the vehicles was a Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff and called for backup when he realized he stood no chance of catching up to the racers in a pursuit. Some of the charges against the drivers include: second degree reckless endangerment, illegal drag racing, fleeing a police car, reckless driving, criminal mischief, and speeding. Both drivers had their licenses suspended.

A surveillance video at the gas station where the Dodge ignited showed the vehicle bursting into flames just as a passenger was diving out of the car. The owner of the gas station claims that the passengers were lucky to be alive, because it was only a matter of seconds before the explosion totaled the vehicle. He says he saw one of the passengers jump out of the car, and when he went to help, was also forced to run from the flames.

Reports said that the drivers were acquaintances, and that no drugs or alcohol were found at the scene. A mother and daughter coming home from New York City that evening contacted emergency services while filming the bizarre event. This incident has Suffolk County officials reviewing legislation on racing in the hopes of creating stricter laws against it.

News: Celebrity Snake at Bronx Zoo

(Long Island, N.Y.) The votes were in today to name the Egyptian Cobra that escaped from its Bronx Zoo confinement over a week ago. The snake has gained widespread fame and received almost 1600 votes for the winning name of “Mia.” Mia, signifying Missing in Action, was the winner of an online naming contest held by the New York Daily News and Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo.

About 60,000 people voted in the contest, and the winning name received twenty-seven percent of the vote. Five final names had been chosen from nearly 34,000 submissions. Mia is a female Egyptian Cobra that went missing for six days before being found coiled in a dark corner of the Bronx Zoo’s Reptile House. “Mia” was nominated over two-hundred times as a name for the young snake, who is only a couple of months old.

Mia was found alive and well, all twenty inches and three ounces of her. Zookeepers maintained that patience was the best tactic for her return, and closed the Bronx Zoo’s Reptile House as a precaution. Though Mia was known to fear open spaces and was kept in a non-public area of the exhibit, she is also poisonous and capable of killing a human in as little as to fifteen minutes.

In addition to patience, zoo workers kept the lights dim and the sound low in efforts to bate Mia’s return. They wanted to make the young snake feel comfortable enough to leave her hiding place. Also, rodent-scented woodchips, which are used as the bedding that mice and rats sleep on, were planted around the building. They predicted Mia would be found after she grew thirsty or hungry enough to venture for sustenance, and aimed to tempt her into hunting.

During the course of her disappearance, Mia acquired a Twitter account with more than 230,000 followers. The Twitter posts documented the snake’s imaginary travels around New York City, fantasizing over the kind of adventures she would have during her week of liberation. Mia was a topic of interest on late night comedy shows, and the subject of a joke made by Jimmy Kimmel. Before being found, a Facebook campaign was created, and received thousands of “Likes”, in order to get her to host Saturday Night Live.

New York City businesses cashed in on the up-and-coming serpentine celebrity by printing T-shirts and coffee mugs with cobra logos. In one instance, the infamous “I Love New York” emblem replaced the heart shape with the figure of a cobra. The national coverage of Mia’s story has brought a considerable amount of interest to the Bronx Zoo. Some reports stated that officials at the Bronx Zoo claimed to be thrilled with the influx of attention, but wished that they would have received it for other reasons. Zookeepers are still unsure how Mia escaped, but reports have claimed that it’s characteristic of snakes to have Houdini-like qualities.

In a more serious light, some reports have stated that the Egyptian Cobra family is responsible for roughly fifty-thousand human deaths each year. This kind of statistic makes zoo visitors thankful that the missing snake incident didn’t become a tragedy. A more severe instance of animal escape occurred in 2003 when the United States Department of Agriculture filed a court complaint against the Los Angeles Zoo for losing thirty-five animals in the span of five years.

Bronx Zoo visitors who want to see Mia should know that the Reptile House will be reopened on Saturday, April 9th, and some reports have claimed that Mia is expected to be put on display. Zoo workers have stated that Mia never left the building throughout her time missing, and are thankful that the cold temperatures gave her less incentive to leave the building.

News: Sentencing for Man Convicted of Killing a Long Island Speaker

(Long Island, N.Y.) The man convicted of murdering a Long Island motivational speaker will be sentenced on April 4th. At his trial, the jury took just five hours to come up with a guilty verdict. The murder charges came after the defense maintained that the defendant was only guilty of assisted suicide.

This case involved a fifty-two year old man named Jeffery Locker who lived with his wife and kids in Valley Stream. Locker was in the field of self-help publications, but ran into a heap of financial trouble and extreme debt following his association in a Ponzi scheme. To put an end to his woes, he allegedly searched the streets of East Harlem for a contract killer.

At the trial, the defense tried to portray Locker as a manipulator who persuaded his assailant to commit the crime by appealing to his sympathies. The defendant testified that he took pity on Locker for his troubles, and was compelled to assist in the staged suicide so that Locker’s family could collect on a multi-million dollar life insurance settlement. A second man supported the argument after stating he was also approached by Locker for the offer.

Prosecutors emphasized the line between assisted suicide and killing for the motive of collecting money. They maintained that the defendant’s actions couldn’t qualify for assisted suicide because the knife wounds suggested that Locker was stabbed at least seven times in his vehicle by a man in the passenger’s seat. The defense lawyer sang a different tune by referring to a pathologist’s testimony, which claimed it was possible for the defendant to hold the knife in place as Locker plunged into it.

The jury was reminded that the defendant was arrested while attempting to use Locker’s ATM card in an area close to the stabbing. As a result, the prosecutor labeled him as a “Grim reaper” who assisted in the death of Locker for the sole purpose of monetary game. The assistant district attorney portrayed the defendant as a hustler that was formerly guilty of drug charges and crimes.

Following the trial, the defense intended to appeal the case on the grounds that the judge had improperly instructed the jury. The defense lawyer stated that the judge allowed for an “affirmative defense” by telling members of the jury that assisted suicide can’t be used to defend a murder charge in cases where the defendant actively caused the death. The defense lawyer claimed to be confident that the verdict would be overturned.

Meanwhile, the prosecution illustrated the difference between giving a terminally ill patient a pill to cause death and stabbing a man several times in the chest. Prosecutors labeled Locker’s killer as “no angel of mercy.” The thirty-eight year old defendant could face up to life in prison during the sentencing.

The defendant’s wife was at the trial, but along with jury members, declined to comment on the outcome of the case. Locker’s wife and family did not receive an initial life insurance settlement due to a misrepresentation of his earnings on the application form. Prior to his death, he informed his wife that he was pulled over to fix a flat tire, while the defense claims this was all part of his elaborate plot.

This case involves two people who seemed to have put money above the value of human life. Because of Locker’s commitment to public speaking and his career-long function as a motivator, the defendant claims to have been lured by his motivational skills. Whether he’s a mimic Kevorkian or a murder-by-contract killer, he awaits uncertainty in what will be the ultimate factor in the outcome of his sentencing.

News: Bellmore Shooting Mayhem

(Long Island, N.Y.) Nassau County Police shot and killed a thirty-one-year old man responsible for unleashing a round of bullets at Bellmore Firefighters. Two of the bullets hit Justin Angell, a twenty-year-old volunteer medic. Though Angell has been released from the hospital, police say that the gunman intended on conducting a massive shooting before plowing his car into a neighborhood utility pole.

The gunman was considered “troubled” by family members who have issued a public apology to Angell and his family. He recently moved from Florida to Commack, Long Island with his wife; reports say he had a child, and that the couple had been high school sweethearts. Some neighbors described him as normal and pleasant, while others claimed he was antisocial.

Six weapons were found with the shooter who was killed behind the wheel of his silver souped-up Ford-150 pickup with Florida plates. A Chinese-made clone SKS AK-47 rifle with a pistol grip, banana ammunition clip, and green laser scope was strapped to his chest. Police believe this was the weapon he used to fire at first responders.

A submachine gun was found in his lap, a .32 caliber semiautomatic pistol was found in his pocket, and a Tech 9 was within arm’s reach. A 357 Magnum revolver and a .9mm Luger pistol were also found in the vehicle. Enough ammunition to arm multiple soldiers was found on the gunman’s wrist bands and a bandoleer of bullets; all weapons were loaded.

About two hours prior to the shooting, police went to his residence for a domestic disturbance call. His wife, who alerted police, did not want to press charges. Apparently, the couple had moved to Long Island after his mother-in-law died. Reports stated he was unemployed, a former crane operator, and a possible trade union worker who had developed a rap sheet for theft crimes and passing bad checks.

He was arrested nine times between 2004 and 2009. The son of an oral surgeon who practices in Central Park South, Manhattan, he was considered his family’s black sheep. Reports say that at least one empty beer bottle along with a case of beer and prescription drugs was also found in the vehicle.

At least eight shots were fired at first-responders before three Nassau policeman came on the scene. Two were involved in a shootout on the driver’s side of the vehicle while the other, a member of the K-9 unit, went to the passenger side and fatally shot the gunman through the window. A neighbor, who happened to be a retired NYPD detective, claimed he heard shots that sounded like they came from a .9mm handgun.

Angell was said to have been shot twice in his lower torso before collapsing on a nearby lawn, where he was spotted on all fours by some of the neighbors. In an ironic turn of events, his twenty-three year old older brother was the driver of the ambulance that took him to Nassau University Medical Center after responding to a call about a shooting on Bellmore Avenue. The ambulance truck was strategically positioned between Angell and the gunman to protect the young medic from further harm.

Angell claimed that he didn’t know what happened, but began to run when he felt pain from the bullet wounds. He said that he originally thought the gunshots were explosion noises from the utility pole transformer. Earlier today, Angell was flown from the NUMC to his home in Bellmore via helicopter, and was cheered on by a band of family, friends, and supporters. He says he’s excited to go back to work pending his recovery.

News: Animal Neglect on Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) Dozens of horses and other animals were rescued by Suffolk County’s Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals from a farm in foreclosure. Some of the animals were found emaciated, and rescuers are unsure whether they will survive. The owner of the property has not been charged.

Rescuers from the Suffolk County SPCA were forced to break a padlock where two horses were locked in a barn without food or water. One of the horses had been so far reduced that it needed help eating after being rescued. Some of the rescuers wondered how they were able to find the animals alive.

The Suffolk County SPCA is not affiliated with the Manhattan-based ASPCA but it runs a program known as the Equine Rescue Collaborative (ERC). The program rescues horses that have been physically or psychologically abused and neglected. It provides the animals with rehabilitation, retraining, retirement, and replacement.

The place in question in the case of the neglected animals is located in Calverton and known as Abbess Farm. Some of the animals were found loose in a fenced field. Rescuers hypothesize that the animals survived by grazing on grass and drinking water from puddles and a nearby spring.

Two dozen horses were rescued in addition to ponies, sheep, goats, and pigs. They had suffered from being abandoned, malnourished, starved, and dehydrated. Some of the horses were taken in and cared for by an organization known as Second Chance Rescue, and some were placed in other programs. Hillcrest Stables, located on Middle Road in Riverhead, took in three of the horses which were found in the worst conditions.

One horse, a chestnut gelding, had been severely emaciated and had suffered the most. Veterinarians were called to help nurse the animals to health before they have to undergo rehabilitation. Though some of them were put into foster care, the animals need to get healthy before they can be taken in by new owners.

The Suffolk County SPCA is currently seeking homes for the animals and investigating the case. SPCA officers were first notified of the neglected animals by the Riverhead Town Police. A court-appointed attorney who had been handling the property had reported the barn to police and gave permission to animal law enforcement to search the property. Reports stated that the owner of the property relinquished the animals to the SPCA.

Reports also stated that one of the horses couldn’t eat because its teeth needed to be trimmed by a veterinarian dentist. A pony couldn’t walk because its hooves had grown out while it had been confined, making it extremely painful to get around. Another pony had suffered from an eye injury.

Some sources claimed that horses had escaped from the property on two different occasions. In the first instance, the horses were found on a nearby golf course, and in the following instance they were discovered on a median of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 73. The owner had allegedly been issued summons.

The Human Organization Representing Suffering Equines (H.O.R.S.E.) is a Connecticut-based program that deals with similar cases. The Suffolk County SPCA is currently accepting donations on its website, and those interested can contribute through PayPal. Also, volunteer veterinarians and equine dentists are needed in addition to food and feeding supplies.

News: Long Island Medic Shot While Assisting

(Long Island, N.Y.) A twenty-year-old volunteer firefighter named Justin Angell was shot while trying to assist a man who crashed into a utility pole. The incident occurred around a quarter to ten last night in a quiet and residential area in Bellmore. Angell, along with a team from Bellmore‘s Fire Department, was fired at while approaching the man’s Ford-150 pickup truck at the scene of the collision.

Angell and his colleagues were the first responders, and were simply approaching the vehicle to check for serious injury and to help the victim into the ambulance. They received an emergency call from a neighbor who assumed an intoxicated driver had crashed into the pole, which landed in the middle of the street as it severed. They were greeted by a round of gunshots from a handgun and were forced to take cover behind the truck before Nassau County Police arrived at the scene; police were forced to shoot and kill the driver.

The incident occurred on Bellmore Avenue near the Claxton Avenue intersection, where the man had been traveling northbound. As of this morning, roads have been closed for investigation. Neighbors claim to have heard at least twenty gunshots which sounded like fireworks before it ended; it’s unsure whether the driver intended for a suicide by cop.

The chief of Bellmore‘s Volunteer Fire Department was present at the scene along with Angell, who was the volunteer medic for the squad. The crew wound up putting Angell in the ambulance where they rushed him to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. He’s currently in stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit.

Reports stated that multiple weapons were found in the vehicle, including a TEC-9 and handguns. The vehicle was caved in at the front where the pole split in two, causing power outages in the nearby area. With power crews at the scene, most of the outages were restored quickly; those in the immediate area were still out as of this morning.

Witnesses say that the car tried to flee from the scene after the collision. It traveled about thirty feet before stalling in the middle of the road. Nassau County‘s Seventh Precinct and Canine Unit were the ones to tend to the incident. Bellmore‘s Fire Department consists of a hundred firefighter and medic volunteers.

Angell has been a firefighter with the Bellmore Fire Department for the last two years and is currently at Junior Firefighter status. He graduated Mepham High School in Bellmore and also works as an Emergency Medical Technician at Brentwood‘s Legion Ambulance. His Facebook post stated that he was recovering, still in shock, and grateful for all of the support he was receiving.

The identity of the driver has not been released by authorities. Since the investigation is ongoing, police are still unsure about the motive behind the man’s decision to fire at the emergency team designed to help him. Workers in similar fields are outraged over the type of potential danger they face daily. Some say that police are supposed to arrive at the scene prior to firefighters in order to prevent such incidents from occurring. Because police are armed in the way firefighters aren’t, another issue is whether firefighters should carry weapons while responding to an emergency situation. Perhaps if they were armed, they could have prevented the driver from shooting as much as he did at the emergency team. The fact remains that the man in this story was lucky to suffer minimal injury.

News: Rape Charges on Long Island

(Long Island, N.Y.) A forty-two-year old married Oceanside woman was sentenced to three year’s probation and a $1,200 fine for being convicted of endangering the welfare of a child. She pleaded guilty to the crime back in December, after initially pleading not guilty to the original charge of third-degree rape. The mother of three was caught having an affair with a sixteen-year-old boy, and could have faced up to four years in prison for the criminal sex act charge.

She has since been ordered to stay away from the boy. According to her lawyer, she seemed to be remorseful during her court appearance, and did her best to stay away from the media spotlight. Authorities were notified of the incident by the boy’s father after he confessed to the affair.

Reports stated that the sixteen-year-old was a high school friend of her daughter’s. Some reports claim he had dated her daughter for a year prior to the affair. The indiscretions occurred from June to November of 2009 at the waterfront home she shared with her husband and family.

The sixteen-year-old transferred to a different high school in response to the proceedings. His family insists that he has been devastated by the affair, and claims the woman went as far as saying she planned on leaving her husband for the boy. Since the affair, the minor has allegedly harassed her family with text messages and scandalous Facebook photos/posts.

This wasn’t the first time her family caught the attention of the media. Her husband made news for having testified against Junior Gotti at his murder and racketeering trial to avoid a harsher sentence. Though he was not present at her sentencing, the ex-mobster once stated that his wife had helped him turn away from a life of crime.

Her husband, former member of the Gambino crime family, received the same sentence of three year’s probation for his crimes. His fine, however, was significantly greater at $12,500 – nearly ten times the amount fined to his wife. His sentence was set in May of last year; he could have faced up to six years in prison and was denied bail as he awaited trial.

His life of racketeering started as early as his high school years when he dropped out of school to be a part of Gotti’s Howard Beach and Queens unit of crime. He admits to stealing cars, robbing drug dealers, and committing assault. Junior Gotti lived in the Howard Beach neighborhood.

Many claim that there is a double standard involved with potential rape charges. The woman in this case did not receive jail time or have to register as a sex offender. The argument is that, had the parties in this case been an adult male and a sixteen-year-old girl, the courts would have been less lenient. In cases where sexual acts can’t be proven, it just takes possession of photos of minors to be registered as a sex offender.

The other argument, in defense of the woman, is that the sentencing is just and so is the double standard. Some argue that she wasn’t capable of rape in this case because the sixteen year old was not an innocent child but acted consciously on exaggerated teenaged hormones. Nonetheless, the law is designed to ensure that adults act responsibly in such cases and are held accountable for the consent of minors until the age of seventeen.

Last Sunday a thirty-year-old Youth Group Leader at Patchogue‘s Evangelica Refugio De Salvacion Church was arrested for two counts of first degree rape in the case of a twelve-year-old girl. He awaits arraignment at the First District Court in Central Islip. This incident, which occurred at his home in Bellport, seems to have gotten less coverage.