Crimes Nearby: 4 Arrested For Blowing Up Mailboxes, Teen Shot in Drive-by

The following information was supplied by the Nassau County and Rockville Centre police departments. Where an arrest is mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Four men, including two from West Hempstead, were arrested after an incident involving fireworks in Elmont eventually ended in a car wreck in West Hempstead.

After receiving reports of a suspicious vehicle driving eratically around West Hempstead on the morning of April 2, Nassau County Police tracked down the vehicle. The driver, Daniel Aviles, of Farmingdale, attempted to evade police but as he sped away, his SUV hit a curb, overturned and struck a tree.

As police, firefighters and EMS attended to Aviles and his three passengers, they notices a strong smell of alcoholic beverage emanated from them. They also found alcohol and fireworks in their vehicle. Aviles was charged with DWI. Police also connected him and the other three vehicle occupants to incidents that occurred in Elmont earlier that morning.

According to Nassau County detectives, around 2:05 a.m. Monday, a homeowner in Elmont contacted police after he heard an explosion outside his home and discovered that his detached mailbox had been destroyed, along with the various pieces of mail inside, by fireworks. A stand alone United States Postal Mailbox located at Madison Street and Cross Street in Elmont was also damaged by fireworks at 5:15 a.m., police said. A third explosive was also placed in another mailbox in Elmont, according to police.

Aviles, John Pinzon, 20, of West Hempstead and Jacob Guerrero III, 21, of West Hempstead, were all arrested Monday in connection with the fireworks incidents. A fourth individual, Jorge Martinez, 21, of Deer Park, was arrested Tuesday night in Westbury. They are being charged with three counts each of criminal mischief in the first degree.

Aviles is additionally being charged with aggravated unlicensed in the first degree (DWI), unlawful fleeing of a police officer in the third degree, reckless driving, DWI, aggravated unlicensed operator vehicle in the third degree and multiple vehicle traffic law violations.

Teen Injured in Drive-by Shooting

Nassau County Police detectives are investigating a shooting that occurred in Hempstead on April 7 at 4 p.m. According to detectives, a male victim, 17, was walking on Oakland Street when he saw a blue four-door car traveling westbound. He then heard one gun shot and when he looked down, saw that he was bleeding from his ankle.  No further description on the vehicle or any subjects are available at this time. Nassau County Police Ambulance transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment.Detectives ask anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.  All callers will remain anonymous.

Man Arrested For Criminal Possession of Shotgun, Drugs

A man was arrested in Hempstead Thursday for Criminal Possession of a Weapon and other charges.

According to Nassau County detectives, Hempstead Police Officers responded to a criminal mischief report at 77 Terrace Avenue and during the course of the investigation, officers heard a gun shot in the vicinity. They then obserrved Malcom Harris, 25, running into 100 Terrace Avenue. Harris was stopped in the vestibule and during questioning, the officers discovered he was concealing a sawed off Mossberg Shotgun with a 17-inch barrel in his pants.

Harris refused to release his hands from the gun and continued to struggle with the officers, according to police. He was eventually placed under arrest and also found to be in possession of 15 clear plastic bags containing cocaine along with a razorblade. There were no injuries reported.

Harris is charged with Criminal Possession of a Control Substance, Criminal Use of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of Weapon, Reckless Endangerment and Resisting Arrest. He was arraigned on April 5 at First District Court in Hempstead.

Muggers Assault Rockville Centre Man With Stick

A Rockville Centre man was mugged on March 23 by two unknown males. The victim said his attackers approached him while on Randall Avenue in Rockville Centre at approximately 6:25 p.m., stricking him in the head with a stick and causing a contusion. They then stole his wallet and $620, before fleeing the scene on foot in unknown direction.

Two Report Fraudalent Tax Returns

On March 20 at 10:40 a.m., a complainant from Woods Avenue in Rockville Centre reported that an unknown person filed a tax return with his personal information without authorization. A similar complaint was filed later that day by another Rockville Centre person from Ardsley Place.

For more crime information click here to access the weekly police blotters for  Mineola and Malverne-West Hempstead.