Police: Purse Snatcher Strikes While Women Visit Beach

The following police incidents were reported this week by the Southampton Town Police Department east of the Shinnecock Canal.

Southampton

• Two people had their cars broken into while visiting a beach in Southampton on Sept. 15. According to the report the victims were visiting a private beach at the end of Far Pond Road between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., but had left valuables in their vehicles. The first victim noticed that her purse, containing $200 in cash, four credit cards, her driver’s license and Hampton Jitney tickets valued at $200, had been taken from the trunk of her car. The purse itself and the accompanying wallet were also stolen, valued at $800 in total. When she realized her purse was gone she called her friend who was also parked by the beach to ask if she had anything missing. When she searched her pocketbook she noticed $60 in cash was taken. There were no witnesses and no suspects have been named.
• A person having car trouble pulled over on Montauk Highway in Southampton on Sept. 8 abandoned his vehicle briefly at about 8:30 p.m., and when he returned he said someone stole valuables from the car. An iPad Mini, valued at $500, and a jacket worth $150, were taken.
• A Speonk woman claims her identity was stolen and used to open bank accounts and secure credit in St. Louis, Mo. The victim was trying to open a bank account at the HSBC Bank in Southampton on Sept. 11 when she was informed that someone used her Social Security number to open a Bank of America account, which was subsequently closed on April 27 after a secure line of credit had been obtained.

North Sea

• Someone blew up a resident’s mailbox on North Sea Drive. According to police, a woman called 911 to report her mailbox had been damaged, possibly by fireworks, and the mail inside was charred by the unknown device at some point during the night of Sept. 13. Police searched the area for suspects, but found nothing. According to the woman, her husband had recently gotten into a verbal altercation with some ATV drivers who were riding behind their house.
• Someone broke into a home on Parrish Road through an unlocked bathroom window and stole a change jar with $100 in change, a small diamond engagement ring and a camcorder, of undetermined value. According to the victim, the crime took place sometime between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 14.  
• Someone entered a woman’s Glenview Drive home on Sept. 13 after finding a key to the front door beneath the welcome mat and rummaged through her bedroom drawers, stealing jewelry and cash valued at more than $3,600. According to the complaint the burglar broke in at sometime between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and stole $1,100 in cash, a black pearl pendant worth $750, a diamond pendant necklace worth $1,000, a white pearl necklace worth $500, gold hoop earrings worth $100, and silver earrings worth $200. The investigation is ongoing.

Bridgehampton

• An employee at the King Kullen in the Bridgehampton Commons on Montauk Highway was working inside the supermarket on Sept. 15 when someone smashed into his vehicle and fled the scene without reporting it. The victim went out to his 2010 Hyundai when his shift was over at 6:30 p.m. and noticed his passenger side window was broken and the door was dented by what appeared to be a large truck. An eyewitness said the truck that hit his car was a “Starling Transport Truck,” but police were unable to locate any company by that name.
• Someone broke into a man’s house on Maple Lane in Bridgehampton while he was watching TV upstairs on Sept. 13. He told police he was in his bedroom at around 9:45 p.m. when he heard a noise downstairs. When he went to investigate, he noticed his back door was open and the window was broken. He also noticed the smell of cigarette smoke in his kitchen. He did not see the burglar. Town police, accompanied by a Suffolk County K-9 unit, canvassed the area but they were unable to find anyone.
• A woman called 911 on Sept. 8 at around 4:30 p.m. to report a hit-and-run that damaged her vehicle. According to police, a person driving a silver SUV rear-ended her 2010 Nissan Versa on Corwith Avenue, near Newman Avenue, in Bridgehampton. The woman said the other driver took off without stopping. Her car suffered minor damage to the bumper and she was not hurt.

Sagaponack

• Someone broke into a home on Merchants Path and stole $4,500 worth of DJ equipment on Sept. 15. The victim told police he was dropping off furniture at a friend’s house and picking up his DJ equipment at around 10:30 p.m. when he noticed the equipment was gone.

Noyac

• A Noyac woman reported on Sept. 12 that her identity had been stolen and used to make credit card charges in another state. Between May and September, someone made multiple charges on the woman’s credit card in excess of $500 at Walmart stores in Melbourne, Fla. The woman told Southampton Town Police that she got new credit cards to replace the compromised ones, but since that time, all four have been compromised again.