Machete Killing Steps From Police Station In Central Islip Leads To Hefty Prison Terms
Three men who admitted to stabbing and beating a homeless man to death with a machete were sentenced to decades in prison, authorities announced Friday, March 27.
Brayan Heredia Escobar, 20; Jhon Lopez Campos, 19; and Julio Beltran, 40, were also homeless when they stabbed Candido Guadalupe Saravia Martinez to death steps from MTA Police headquarters in Central Islip, according to Suffolk County investigators.
Lopez Campos got 25 years, Beltran got 21 years, and Heredia Escobar got 20 years for the Feb. 18, 2025, attack, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said Friday.
“While not…
Ex-Dover Councilman Admitted Into PTI After Coercion, Assault Charges: Prosecutor
A former Dover councilman has been admitted into a pre-trial diversion program following charges tied to two separate incidents in Morris County, prosecutors announced Wednesday, Jan. 7.
Sergio Rodriguez, 30, of Dover, whose last day on the Dover council was Dec. 31, 2025, was admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program on Jan. 5, before Superior Court Judge Ralph Amirata, according to a news release from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Rodriguez was charged with one count of fourth-degree criminal coercion connected to an incident on Oct. 25, 2024, along with simple assau…
Roommate Attacks, Locks Woman In Room At Farmingdale Apartment, Police Say
A woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly attacking a woman and locking her inside a room during a violent dispute in a Long Island apartment, police said.
The incident happened shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, at a Farmingdale residence on Eastern Parkway, according to Nassau County Police.
Officers responded after receiving a 911 call from someone who said her friend was being held against her will.
When police arrived, they found Shawnequa Polite, 42, at the residence along with a 28-year-old woman who had visible injuries, police said.
An investigation revealed Polite, …
Hagerstown Bans Sleeping in Public: Jail, $500 Fines Possible For Campers
No tents. No sleeping bags. No cars. No exceptions — unless you're at a city-sanctioned event.
The City of Hagerstown has passed a temporary ordinance that bans sleeping or lodging in public spaces, with violators facing fines of up to $500 and even jail time, officials announced.
The ordinance takes effect Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, and will remain in place for six months, expiring Feb. 8, 2026, unless extended by the Mayor and City Council.
According to the city, the goal is to “ensure public spaces remain clean, safe, and accessible for all residents and visitors.”
It is now unlawful to sle…
Three Injured, 13 Displaced In Phillipsburg Fire: Police
Three people were injured and 13 people were displaced after a structure fire tore through a building in Phillipsburg on Friday, May 30, authorities said.
At 4:45 p.m., officers, fire and EMS responded to 266 Heckman St. for a structure fire with flames and heavy smoke showing, Phillipsburg police said.
Upon arrival, the fire had extended to the top two floors and the attic of the building, a 3-story multi-unit apartment structure, police said.
All residents were safely evacuated by police and the fire was brought under control after 90 minutes, officials said. Three people were hospitaliz…
Car Hits Building, Starts Fire: Arrest Made In Ossining Crash That Displaced Single Mom
Nearly two weeks after a car slammed into a multi-family home in Westchester and triggered a fire that displaced more than a dozen residents, police say they’ve caught the driver who fled from the scene.
On Monday, April 8, 33-year-old Tevin Mackey of Ossining turned himself in to police in connection with the crash, which happened at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, when a 2011 Subaru Impreza barreled into the corner of a home at 62 South Highland Ave., Ossining Police announced on Tuesday, April 8.
The Impreza struck the building’s utility connections in the crash,&…
Delivery Driver Carjacking, High-Speed Lancaster Chase: Homeless Man Gets Time In State Slammer
A 21-year-old homeless man has been sentenced to four to eight years in Pennsylvania state prison after he pleaded guilty to robbing a woman at gunpoint, stealing her car, and leading police on a high-speed chase, police said.
Matthew Daniel Reyes was sentenced by Judge Thomas Sponaugle after pleading guilty Monday, March 24 to multiple charges, including robbery of a motor vehicle, criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of a firearm, and fleeing police, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Reyes declined to speak in court before sentencing, though his attorney sa…
