Arrested illegal aliens from sophisticated Chilean theft ring set free since charges against them aren't bail eligible in NY



Arrested illegal aliens from a sophisticated Chilean theft ring were set free last week because the charges against them aren't bail eligible in New York state, WABC-TV reported.

The station said six men entered Florique Florists on Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury on Long Island just after 3 a.m. Nov. 7, cut through the roof, and then cut through a wall connected to Elegant Jewelers, Burglary Squad Detectives said.

'We need a change in these laws. Give the judges back their discretion. Let us do our jobs.'

The group left without taking any merchandise, but Nassau County Police told WABC they used radio jammers to hide the alarm system.

"How dangerous is that?" Nassau County Police Dept. Commissioner Patrick Ryder asked, according to WABC. "If someone is calling for an emergency, or another cop is called for an emergency and his radio doesn't work, because these thugs are inside trying to jam the radios so we don't get the alarm?"

All of the illegal aliens were arrested the next day at a home in Huntington they were renting, WABC said, adding that Homeland Security flagged all of the men as potential threats.

Police said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified, and while "one defendant has been remanded," the remaining five "have been released with no bail."

Turns out authorities weren't able to detain the five remaining suspects because their crimes were not bail eligible, WABC reported.

Police added that two of the suspects didn't report for their electronic monitors — and the three who did report cut off their electronic monitors. The station said they cut them off in New Jersey.

All of the suspects are charged with burglary and criminal mischief, WABC said.

New York bail laws at center of controversy once again

Authorities on Long Island are calling for a change to New York's bail laws in the wake of this incident, the station said.

Neither Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman nor his law-enforcement partners minced words about the situation, WABC reported.

"It's a damn disgrace," Blakeman said.

County District Attorney Ann Donnelly said she's "sick of it. We need a change in these laws. Give the judges back their discretion. Let us do our jobs."

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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Two friends go out partying at night, then handyman makes grisly discovery when asked to clean up a mess the next morning



Defense attorney Colin Astarita told reporters he believes his client, 43-year-old Jeremy Allen, is a longtime acquaintance of 43-year-old Christopher Hahn. Astarita said the pair had been back in touch with each other only recently, according to Newsday.

On Friday night, the two allegedly went drinking together at a bar after first planning to attend a 12-step meeting together.

'The video is brutal and heinous to watch.'

"The two of them became very intoxicated," Astarita said. "At some point, there was an altercation that grew more violent."

On Saturday morning, Allen reportedly texted his handyman and asked him to help clean up his house on Long Island.

While the handyman was on the property, Allen's dog pulled at a tarp on the back patio revealing the feet of a lifeless body.

When the handyman saw the body, Allen allegedly told the handyman, "Now you can’t leave. Now you have to help clean up the house."

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro told Southampton Town Justice Adam Grossman during the hearing, "The handyman left the house in the quiet Oakville Estates neighborhood south of Sunrise Highway, saying he needed to get bleach."

Instead of getting bleach, the handyman called the police.

Beginning at midnight, Tomaro said Allen beat Hahn with a baseball bat for as long as six hours before he pulled out “a large knife” and stabbed his friend “in the head and neck.”

Prosecutors said Allen dragged Hahn's "defenseless and helpless body" onto the patio.

Allen's own home surveillance system reportedly caught Hahn's beating and stabbing death that Allen allegedly carried out.

"The video is brutal and heinous to watch," Tomaro said.

Southampton Town police responded to Allen’s house at 9:52 a.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call from the handyman.

Hahn was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Allen reportedly was arrested about an hour after Hahn's body was found.

Allen pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Hahn's death.

In addition, Allen was arrested in May when he tried to buy a shotgun; he was unable to do so because of prior criminal convictions.

"That [effort] was thwarted by the employees of Dick’s Sporting Goods," Tomaro stated.

What's more, Allen has a pending rape case in Southampton Court involving a child under 15 years old, Tomaro said according to Newsday.

Allen reportedly had DWI offenses in 2007 and is currently on probation for a 2022 drunken-driving conviction in Ulster County, according to the prosecutor.

Astarita said he believes Hahn "injected himself into" the life of Allen, hinting that Allen may have a self-defense claim.

"He was in his own home," Astarita said, although admitting that he isn't sure of what caused the altercation between the two men.

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Toxic chemical drums unearthed at Long Island park: 'Graveyard for contamination'



Six drums containing toxic chemicals were unearthed last week at a Long Island park, according to New York's Department of Environmental Conservation.

The department reported that the 55-gallon drums were discovered encased in concrete underneath the Bethpage Community Park. Officials believe the drums are decades old.

The location of the site was formerly a Northrop Grumman Aerospace dumping ground, Newsday reported.

The state oversaw the company's cleanup of the park after its chemical dumping from the 1940s to the 1960s led to a six-square-mile, 900-foot-deep, underground carcinogenic chemical plume. The aviation company donated the land to the town in 1962.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino questioned, "Will we find more drums put in concrete vaults, coffin-like vaults, which proves to us that they knew they were dealing with something very dangerous?"

Saladino called the discovery "Grumman's graveyard for contamination."

According to the supervisor, the park's baseball field has been closed for two decades due to concerns of soil contamination. He criticized the company and the DEC for the slow cleanup effort.

Several years ago, a whistleblower claimed the company had buried chemical drums, WCBS-TV reported.

"That claim was deemed unfounded by the DEC, but look where we are today," Saladino noted.

The DEC insists that the discovery presents "no immediate threat to public health." However, many residents are not convinced, arguing that, for years, the area has had higher rates of cancer.

Additionally, despite media reports claiming no leaks were found, Saladino stated that one of the drums was punctured. He noted that some containers, buried seven feet deep, contained flammable chemicals. The contents of the drums could have seeped into a layer of clay found beneath them, the New York Post reported.

The DEC's preliminary testing found that the drums contained "chlorinated solvents and waste oil/petroleum."

Saladino is insisting the DEC conduct a full soil excavation and cleanup at the aerospace company's expense. He noted that taxpayers previously shelled out $20 million for the cleanup of the site to be able to safely use the park's skating rink. Saladino filed a lawsuit against the company 10 years ago to reimburse residents for the cleanup costs. Another complaint was lodged against the company in September, aiming to force Grumman to remove all contaminated soil.

"I've had it. I've had it. I've been working on this for over 20 years as a New York State assembly member and now as the supervisor of the fourth largest town in America and I'm not going to sit by idly," Saladino continued. "We believe there may be another set of drums beneath those drums even deeper in the earth and there's nothing that says this is over."

Northrop Grumman officials confirmed that the company is working with the DEC to address the situation.

"We promptly notified NYSDEC and other relevant stakeholders and we are working with NYSDEC to assess and address this situation as quickly as possible," a company spokesperson told the Post. "We remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of the community and to continuing our partnership with NYSDEC and other government regulators to address environmental conditions in the area."

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Pro-Palestinian thug who entered US illegally caught on video stealing pro-Israel flag, beating up homeowner, police say



A pro-Palestinian male who entered the U.S. illegally was caught on video Sunday stealing a pro-Israel flag from a home on Long Island, New York, and then beating up the homeowner who confronted him, police said.

What are the details?

Aleks Binyaminov had been displaying an Israeli-American flag as well as a sign reading "We stand with Israel" in front of his Hewlett home after Hamas murdered his wife's cousin on Oct. 7, WCBS-TV reported.

The station said Binyaminov's security cameras alerted him of a man walking up his driveway and then walking off with his pro-Israel display — after which Binyaminov got on his child's bicycle to get his property back.

"When I grabbed the flag away from him, he was saying ‘I’m from Palestine, you Jews are killing Palestinians,'" Binyaminov recalled to WNBC-TV, adding that "he punched me in the face ... put me in a chokehold, and he head-butted me — that’s how I got a black eye."

Nassau County Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Smith noted to WNBC that "the subject continued to swing wildly and struggle with the victim and threw the victim to the ground."

WCBS said Nassau County Police arrested 26-year-old Bechir Lehbeib, who they say illegally crossed the border into Arizona in November and was staying in a migrant shelter on Staten Island.

Lehbeib told police he's from North Africa and took a bus to Hewlett to look for a job, WCBS added.

"Well, people who look for work don't usually do that in a residential area and then rip down people's flag and signs," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, according to WCBS.

Blakeman and Republican elected officials blasted border policies for the incident, WNBC reported.

According to WCBS, Blakeman compared the flag-stealing and physical attack to the recent assault on NYPD officers in Times Square: "They spit on our flag, they trample on our values, and they commit crimes, and they do so at taxpayer expense."

Binyaminov, a Russian native and immigrant, told WCBS that people "coming in should be vetted carefully. I never thought this would happen with me. As a Jew, we live here, all of us, happily without any problems. It feels a little bit disgusting that this happened to us."

WCBS added that the suspect pleaded not guilty to hate crime, robbery, and assault charges, was ordered held on $50,000 bail, and had to surrender his passport.

According to the New York Post, the accused allegedly ranted to police that he hated Israeli Jews, made other hateful statements, and said, “If I see the flag of the people that killed my people, we will have a problem.”

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'Revered' 3rd-grade teacher, 76, accused of 'astounding' serial sexual abuse of 56 children



A retired New York teacher is accused of molesting 56 children over several decades.

Thomas Bernagozzi, 76, was arrested on Dec. 21 and charged with two counts of sodomy and sexual conduct against a child involving two students. Bernagozzi – from the Long Island town of Babylon – faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted on both charges, according to Newsday.

One of the alleged victims was purportedly abused between 1997 and 2000 and the other between 1989 and 1991, according to the criminal complaint.

On Wednesday, Bernagozzi pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing two former students in Suffolk County.

However, there have been 45 civil lawsuits filed against Bernagozzi and the school district under the New York State Child Victims Act.

The New York State Child Victims Act – signed into law in 2019 – allows an alleged victim of child sex abuse to file a civil action up until that individual turns 55 years of age.

Since his arrest, 11 more alleged victims have come forward with allegations of child sex abuse against Bernagozzi. The alleged victims range in age from 4 to 8 years old.

Due to New York’s statute of limitations, only the recent cases involving the two alleged victims could be criminally prosecuted.

On Wednesday, prosecutors said in court that the Bay Shore School District knew about the child sex abuse accusations and "turned a blind eye," according to KABC-TV.

Steven Maloney – the superintendent of the Bay Shore School District – said on Tuesday, "Due to pending and ongoing litigation, the Bay Shore School District is unable to comment regarding this matter. The District remains committed to ensuring the safety, health, and wellbeing of all students."

The 56 alleged victims were children attending schools where Bernagozzi taught.

Bernagozzi was employed as a third-grade teacher at the Mary G. Clarkson Elementary School and Gardiner Manor Elementary School between 1970 and 2000. He retired in 2003 after working for the Bay Shore School District.

The New York Post reported, "While working for the district, Bernagozzi directed school plays and coached after-school sports. Outside work hours, he would take groups of children — mostly boys — to 'local beaches, pools, gym, Broadway shows and sporting events,' prosecutors said."

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Bernagozzi was "allegedly revered by both fellow teachers and staff, as well as parents residing in the district who would specifically request that their children be placed in Bernagozzi’s class."

Prosecutors noted that his classes were "allegedly comprised predominantly of male children."

Robert Hubbard – one of the alleged victims who filed a civil lawsuit against Bernagozzi – said he was a student in 1976 and that his teacher would fondle him in the classroom and at baseball games.

"The sheer magnitude of what this defendant is alleged to have committed is astounding," said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. "This defendant allegedly betrayed the trust of his students, their families, and the community. I urge anyone who has been abused to come forward to law enforcement no matter how long ago that abuse occurred. We will investigate thoroughly and seek to hold those responsible accountable for their conduct."

At Bernagozzi's arraignment, the Suffolk County DA requested that the former teacher be held on $1 million cash bail. However, Judge Edward J. Hennessey ordered him placed on supervised release with GPS conditions.

After 11 more alleged victims came forward this week, Judge Karen Wilutis set Bernagozzi’s bond at $300,000 cash and $600,000 bond.

Anyone with information about Bernagozzi is urged to contact the Suffolk County Police Department's Special Victims Section at 631-275-2302.

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Long Island police commissioner defends officer's use of SUV to neutralize gun-toting woman who threatened to shoot herself and others



Police put the pedal to the metal and a threatening woman to the ground Tuesday after the armed 33-year-old took aim at herself and others in a crowded intersection in Nassau County, New York.

While critics claim the use of an SUV to neutralize the apparent public menace was improper, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder has praised his officers for a job well done.

Footage of the incident taken by the owner of a nearby BP gas station, Hamza Amir, shows a woman at the intersection of North Jerusalem and Bellmore Avenues just after 2:00 p.m. stride into the street with a semi-automatic pistol at the ready.

As she makes her way deeper into the intersection, the woman, whom authorities have yet to name, can be seen walking backward and taking aim at onlookers.

Amir told Newsday that the woman "had a gun in her hand, she was pointing at people. ... [S]he pointed the gun at me."

The woman can be seen in the video alternating between possible targets, then finally pressing the gun to her own head, threatening one more life. Meanwhile, police, alerted to the scene after receiving reports of a woman firing a shot into the air, make their approach off-screen.

With the nearby Nassau Children's Readiness Center on lockdown and bystanders a good distance away, a Nassau County Police cruiser screeches into frame, prompting the woman to maneuver to the side. Her dodge is no good, however; the SUV grazes her, sending her spinning and leaving her stunned.

Officers on foot can be seen rushing the suspect, who drops her weapon and surrenders while additional support units move in.

Authorities indicated the woman was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.

— (@)

Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, was critical of this possibly livesaving tactic, claiming that officers are "not allowed to hit people with the car, even if they’re shooting at you," reported Newsday.

Alcazar suggested that NYPD policy would alternatively have had the officers "isolate and contain" the woman until K-9 units, negotiators, or other special units could show up, even if the officers were being fired upon.

Former NYPD detective Felipe Rodriguez suggested the officer had put himself at risk using the police cruiser, telling CBS News, "The windshields in vehicles are not bulletproof, and as he ended up coming closer to her, you actually became a bigger target. So he was very lucky she didn't decide to aim at the vehicle and discharge the firearm."

NCP Commissioner Patrick Ryder wasn't similarly critical of the 300 horsepower remedy, indicating his officers "thought quickly to react and probably save people's lives, including their own," adding, "I am never going to Monday-morning quarterback my cops."

"It's a loaded handgun that she's waving around in the traffic, pointing at people that have got their children and their families in their cars. That cop made a split-second decision to put her down on the ground. He did a great job. He’s our hero of the day," said Ryder, who indicated the alternative would have been simply shooting her.

"Deadly physical force spurs deadly physical force. That’s the law," continued the commissioner. "If somebody has threatened deadly physical force against you or another, you have the right to use deadly physical force, and they chose it through their vehicle and they stopped the individual."

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