MONTAUK — It was a few minutes before midnight Saturday when Ethan Jacob Winter of East Northport, who was celebrating his 21st birthday, was pulled over on Montauk Highway just west of downtown Montauk. According to East Hampton Town Police, Winter was speeding west in a late-model Kia and swerving across lane lines, leading to the traffic stop. Winter appeared intoxicated, police said, and failed roadside sobriety tests, leading to his arrest on misdemeanor DWI charges. At police headquarters, a breath test produced reading of .17, police said, over twice the .08 mark that defines intoxication in New York State.
SPRINGS — A disagreement at the dog park in Springs led to the arrest of an Amagansett man, Gary Jones, 64, on Friday afternoon. Police said that Jones pulled out a folding pocketknife, threatening another visitor to the dog park. Jones was placed under arrest and charged with two misdemeanors by Town Police, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and menacing in the second degree. During his arraignment Saturday morning, an order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim, with Justice Steven Tekulsky warning Jones that he needed to stay away from the woman at all times.
SPRINGS — An accident on Spring Fireplace Road on Sunday evening led to the arrest of a Springs man, Marvin Estuardo Vargas Valey, 30, by Town Police on misdemeanor DWI charges. Police said Vargas Valey lost control of the 2009 Honda Civic he was driving, crashing into a utility pole at the side of the road. Vargas Valey reportedly told the arresting officer that he lost control when the driver of an oncoming car failed to dim its brights. Police said Vargas Valey appeared very intoxicated and admitted to drinking at least six beers; he failed roadside sobriety tests, leading to his arrest.
MONTAUK — Two men who reside in Montauk were arrested recently after shoplifting food items from the Montauk IGA in separate unrelated incidents, according to East Hampton Town Police. Police said Marshall Helfand, 86, walked out of the grocery store with a mini-cheesecake a little before noon November 4 without paying, leading to his arrest on a misdemeanor petty larceny charge. Police said that Helfand still had the cake when they stopped him for questioning just minutes after he left the store, leading to a second charge of possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, also a misdemeanor. Police said that Kennedy Alexander Santiago, 22, whom they listed as undomiciled, but whom they say lives in Montauk, took several food items from the store, including a bottle of milk, a package of breakfast biscuits and a box of Ritz crackers without paying the morning of October 21. After police investigated the incident, Santiago was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of petty larceny on October 27, according to police. Both Santiago and Helfand were processed and released after their arrests with desk tickets calling for them to be arranged in East Hampton Town Justice court at a future date.
MONTAUK — East Hampton Town Police arrested Riley Keegan Cullen, 20, of Montauk after a traffic stop in Ditch Plains early morning, November 3. Police said Cullen was driving a 2017 Toyota Tacoma pickup erratically, swerving across the road, and appeared intoxicated. Cullen failed roadside sobriety tests, police said, and was placed under arrest on a charge of driving with ability impaired by a combination of drugs and alcohol, a misdemeanor. At police headquarters, Cullen agreed to allow a blood sample to be drawn, which will be tested to determine what, if any, drugs, and in what quantity, were in Cullen’s system at the time. Cullen was issued an appearance ticket and released, to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge in East Hampton Town Justice Court at a future date, by which time the blood test results should be known.
SPRINGS — A Hog Creek Lane resident went to the city where he stayed for a couple of days starting on October 26. When he returned to his Hog Creek Lane house on October 29, he told police, he discovered that two pumpkins that he had placed on his front porch were now missing. Nothing else appeared to have been disturbed on the property. The resident told police he wanted the situation documented. Police did check the surrounding area but were unable to come up with any clues regarding the purloined pumpkins.
Staff Writer on Nov 12, 2025