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Wayne Sapiane died after an altercation in Riverhead on January 2. Police arrested a suspect on assault charges on January 15. FACEBOOK PHOTO
At the arraignment in Riverhead Justice Court Wednesday morning, Judge Lori Hulse remanded Mr. Hughes to the Suffolk County Corrrectional Facility in Riverside in lieu of bail that had been set at $150,000 cash or $300,000 bond. Due back in court on January 17, Mr. Hughes is represented by John Halverson.
According to the felony complaint, the incident occured behind 55 West Main Street in Riverhead at 12:42 p.m. on January 2.
Charges of assault second degree are levied when a suspect causes injury "with intent" to someone who is 65 years or older and the suspect is more than 10 years younger than the victim.
The complaint states, Mr. Hughes "did strike Wayne Sapiane in the face, causing a series of medical events which resulted in the death of Wayne Sapiane, the defendant stated in sum and substance he slapped the decedent."
Suffolk County Homicide Squad detectives arrested a homeless man on Tuesday and charged him with assaulting another homeless man last week, an attack that police said led to the victim’s death three days later.
Daniel Hughes, 38, was scheduled for arraignment on charges of second-degree assault on Wednesday, January 15, in Riverhead Town Justice Court. Police said he struck Wayne Sapiane, 65, in the head during an altercation in the area of West Main Street in Riverhead on January 2.
Mr. Sapiane died in Southside Hospital in Bay Shore on January 5. He was originally taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center, then transported by helicopter to Southside, where he was treated for traumatic brain injury before his death.
According to the original report from the Homicide Squad, he told police he’d been struck in the head by a white male.
The deceased is the brother of WLNG radio personality Gary Sapiane, who, following his brother’s death, vowed to continue to pursue the investigation until the culprit was brought to justice.
Mr. Hughes, who grew up in Springs and East Hampton, is described in the police report as undomiciled, as was the victim; Mr. Sapiane had been staying in Riverside at the time of the assault. An autopsy was planned to determine the exact cause of death.
Southampton Town and Riverhead Town police departments both responded to the altercation. Neither offered details of the initial assault. Southampton Town Police Lieutenant Susan Ralph said her department handled the aided case but would provide no additional information.
The victim’s brother surmised the attack occurred in broad daylight, as he was called from the hospital at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Second-degree assault is a class four felony. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 16 years in state prison. The Suffolk County district attorney has the authority to upgrade the charges or convene a grand jury after the arraignment.
