Crimes Nearby: Gym Teacher Charged With Unlawful Surveillance in Locker Room

Recent notable crimes reported elsewhere on the East End:

Westhampton-Hampton Bays

• New York State police have charged a 27-year-old Westhampton Beach Middle School gym teacher with unlawful surveillance, a felony, after he allegedly used a video recording device in the girls' locker room.

The teacher, Thomas Sheppard, of Speonk, was charged on Tuesday, after an investigation by Westhampton Beach and New York State detectives, which stemmed from allegations made by several students in the school district.

The allegations of teacher misconduct were made public on March 5 when Mike Radday, the school district superintendent, called Westhampton Beach police to report the incident that occurred in the girl's locker room.

• Westhampton Beach police seized a 2003 BMW under the Suffolk County seizure law on March 14 at 11:35 p.m. after the driver of the car was caught drinking and driving, according to an arrest report.

Police said they pulled over Robert Cunniff, 50, of East Moriches, who has a prior DWI conviction, on Montauk Highway after they spotted him swerving on Beach Lane.

Cunniff was charged with DWI, a felony, and driving an unregistered vehicle as well as making an unsafe lane change, both violations. He was released on $1,000 bail.

Riverhead

• An Aquebogue man faces upgraded charges after an accident that killed two in Nassau County, police said.

Robert Beodeker, 50, surrendered to state police investigators and was arrested and charged Friday with aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, two counts of criminally negligent homicide, all of which are felonies, and driving while ability impaired, a misdemeanor, New York State police said.

The charges stem from a March 4 accident in which Beodeker, police said, was found to have methamphetamine and amphetamine in his blood at the time of a double fatal accident. The accident occurred on the Meadowbrook State Parkway southbound at the interchange with the Southern State Parkway.

• Two Coram men were charged in connection to an early morning graffiti spree on Main Street in Riverhead on Thursday, police said.

According to Riverhead police, authorities responded to a call on West Main Street in the area of Griffing Hardware at 1:37 a.m. in reference to reports of people running across the roof of the store. Police said upon arrival two suspects were seen running across the parking lot and entering a vehicle. Both people were stopped and found to be in possession of numerous spray paint cans and Sharpe markers. Authorities said after further investigation it was found that they had allegedly used the spray paint and markers to create graffiti on numerous Main Street storefronts.

Christopher J. Berg, 18, and Mark H. Cannon, 20, were both arrested. Berg was charged with seven counts of making graffiti, a misdemeanor, petty larceny, a misdemeanor, trespassing, a violation, possession of a graffiti instrument, a misdemeanor, and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, a misdemeanor. Cannon was charged with seven counts of making graffiti, trespassing, and possession of a graffiti instrument.

North Fork

• Employees of a Chinese restaurant in Southold reported an armed robbery Tuesday night.

According to two employees, a man brandishing a gun entered the Cai Hong Restaurant on Route 48 in Southold at 8:58 p.m. and demanded cash.

According  to police, a subject dressed in all black, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, entered the restaurant, displayed a black handgun and stole approximately $500 from the cash register. The subject then fled in an easterly direction. No further details were immediately available, police said.

The robbery was the second hold-up of a Chinese restaurant on the North Fork in two days: On Sunday night, a masked gunmen held up a Chinese restaurant in Greenport. According Southold Town police, a call was received Sunday at 8:40 p.m. regarding a robbery that took place at the New China Restaurant on Front Street in Greenport.

Police said a subject dressed in all black, wearing a hat and mask, entered the restaurant, displayed a black handgun and stole approximately $400 from the cash register. The subject then fled in an unknown direction.

• A Greenport resident was arrested after he stole food from a village restaurant, according to Southold Town police. Felix Cruz Garcia, 39, was arrested Monday at 8:40 p.m. on Front Street. Police said Garcia unlawfully entered a Greenport restaurant through a rear kitchen door and removed food items from a refrigerator. Garcia was then confronted by a restaurant employee and fled the area, police said. He was located a short distance away, arrested and charged with burglary in the third degree, a felony.

East Hampton

• Police said the Montauk Friends of Erin St. Patrick's Day brought 25,000 to 30,000 people to Montauk on Sunday, but despite a bigger crowd compared to last year, there were fewer arrests.

East Hampton Town police made nine parade-related arrests, according to Lt. Chris Hatch; three were charged with driving while intoxicated, one charged with driving while ability impaired, two disorderly conducts, one false personation, one reckless driving and unlawful possession of marijuana.

One person was flown to Stony Brook University Hospital on Sunday afternoon after an incident at O'Murphy's Pub & Restaurant, Detective Lt. Chris Anderson said on Wednesday. Bouncers ejected a Medford man in his early 20s, who staff and other patrons thought was acting inappropriately, Anderson said. "He suffered injuries to his face and head." No charges have been filed yet and the matter is still under investigation.

For more details about the parade, click here.