Crimes Nearby: Woman Charged With Identity Theft

Suffolk County Police arrested an Islip Terrace woman and charged her with stealing the identity of her 83-year old grandmother who suffers from dementia. 

Elise Sandberg, was taken into custody at her home and has been charged with one count of Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and one count of Identity Theft 1st Degree. 

According to police, in early January Sandberg allegedly used her grandmother’s identity to open a credit card account and used the card to pay for Oxycodone prescriptions. Police said Sandberg was allegedly doing this to satisfy a drug habit of approximately 12 pills a day.  

Police also said she used the card to make cash advances, purchase food and pay for other expenses, incurring more than $5,000 in charges over a two-week period.

Coram Woman Charged With DWI

A Coram woman was arrested and charged by police with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle accident that injured another driver.

Barbara Nitti, 27, was charged with DWI following an accident that took place Thursday at around 1:30 a.m. 

Police said Nitti was driving a 1994 Ford sedan westbound on Route 25, 300 feet east of Old Middle Country Road, when her vehicle crossed into the eastbound lane and struck a car driven by Lillian Fernandez, 68, also of Coram.

Fernandez was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Nitti was also taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

Coram Man Killed in Mt. Sinai

A Coram man was killed in a crash that occurred Monday in Mt. Sinai.

According to police, Bennie Demaro, 86, was driving a 1994 Cadillac northbound on County Road 83 and attempted to make a left turn onto Canal Road when his vehicle was struck by a 1998 Mazda pickup truck that was traveling southbound on County Road 83. The Cadillac then struck a 2005 Dodge Magnum driven by Lauren Pedone, 53, of Port Jefferson Station.

Demaro was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Demaro’s passenger, Salvatore Anselmo, 81, of Coram, was transported to John T. Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson where he was pronounced dead.  

The driver of the Mazda pickup truck, Timothy Grady, 27, of East Patchogue, was transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.  Pedone and her 16-year-old son were not injured.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555.

Police Save Man Overdosing 

Suffolk County police officers saved a 25-year-old man who overdosed in North Great River.

According to police, Third Precinct officers responded to a call of an unconscious man and they determined that the victim had overdosed.

Officer Paul Ruotolo administered a dose of intranasal Narcan and the man regained consciousness. The victim was transported to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore by Central Islip Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corp.

The Suffolk County Police Department is participating in the New York State Department of Health pilot program involving the deployment of intranasal Narcan, a prescription drug used to reverse opiate overdoses. Currently the program is being used by officers in all Suffolk County Police precincts, Marine Bureau and the Emergency Service Section.