Northport Police Blotter: 2 Men Arrested After CVS Theft

NORTHPORT, NY — Check out some recent police incidents for the Northport Village area from May 20 through May 26.

The Northport Police Department posted the following information. All charges are accusations and do not signify guilt.

Arrests

• Christopher Platania, 33, of Middle Village, was accused of stealing from CVS, at 753 Fort Salonga Road, and was arrested on May 25, police said. Platania was in a gray Honda sedan with tinted windows that was driving north on Gilbert Street, police said. His vehicle matched the description of a fleeing vehicle that a caller gave police, the department said. Police saw two occupants inside the Honda, with Alexander Normatov in the driver's seat and Platania in the driver's side rear seat, police said. While approaching the car, police saw the passenger through the window emptying his jacket of numerous bottles and boxes of what appeared to be pills and beauty products, police said. The complainant was escorted to the scene and identified Platania as the same person she saw inside her store taking items, leave without paying, and getting into the gray Honda, police said. The complainant also identified the vehicle as the same one she saw Platania get into after leaving the store, police said. Both occupants were arrested and transported to Northport Village Police Headquarters for processing, police said. Platania was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny: exceeds $1,000, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
• Alexander Normatov, 49, of Rego Park, was accused of being in possession of stolen property following a theft at CVS, at 753 Fort Salonga Road, and was arrested on May 25, police said. Normatov was in a gray Honda sedan with tinted windows and driving north on Gilbert Street, police said. His vehicle matched the description of a fleeing vehicle that a caller gave police, the department said. Police saw two occupants inside the Honda, with Normatov in the driver's seat and Christopher Platania in the driver's side rear seat, police said. The complainant identified the vehicle as the same one she saw Platania get into after leaving the store, police said. Both occupants were arrested and transported to Northport Village Police Headquarters for processing, police said. During processing, Normatov was searched and found to have two small blue glassine envelopes with white rocks in his right coin pocket that are alleged to be crack cocaine, police said. Normatov was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Incidents

• A man who was highly intoxicated and complaining of anxiety was brought to Huntington Hospital by Northport Rescue on May 20.
• Someone who had started setting up a construction job site on James Street at 7:23 a.m. was asked by police to wait until 8 a.m. to continue.
• A man hitchhiking was warned and admonished by police on Main Street around 12:45 p.m. May 20. He declined a ride home from police.
• Someone was reportedly shooting a BB gun from a vehicle on Lewis Road on May 20 but police could not find them.
• A Bayview Avenue resident told police about an attempted email scam on May 21. The man said he received an email from an unknown/invalid address requesting Bitcoin funds be transferred to a private account. The man said the email detailed how private and personal information would be released about him if he did not proceed with the transfer of funds. The officer told the man to disregard the email as it is a scam. The man said he did not transfer any funds and does not report any monetary loss, nor has his personal information been stolen.
• On May 22, an officer found a vehicle that had been stolen earlier in the day from Indian Hills Golf course. The vehicle was found locked and unoccupied on Mar-Kan Drive. Suffolk police came to the scene with the owner of the vehicle to retrieve it.
• A downed plane report came in over the Suffolk County Police radio near Asharoken Avenue and Crab Meadow Beach around 8 a.m. May 22. Asharoken police said a sea plane had just landed in the Long Island Sound and quickly took off back into the air, and that there was no problem.
• An elderly man was hitchhiking on Main Street at 3:45 p.m. May 22. Police warned him it was against the law to hitchhike and gave him a ride home.
• Someone was injured in a motor vehicle crash on West Street on May 23.
• A white Porsche was on the dock of Village Dock on May 23.
• An officer on patrol found a brindle-colored cat in the roadway of Hawkins Drive that appeared to have an injured back leg around 4:30 am. May 24. The officer brought it to the Veterinary Emergency Group in Commack and left it in their care. No microchip was found, which would have indicated an owner.
• A woman fainted at Crab Meadow Beach around 2:20 p.m. May 24. She was conscious and alert by the time police arrived. Suffolk police came to the beach to help.
• A woman was reportedly begging for food with a baby at a business on Fort Salonga Road on May 24. Police found a woman with children standing outside the of the store, but no begging or panhandling was observed. The woman said that she was leaving the area and that she was not in need of any assistance for herself or her children. The children appeared happy and healthy, police said. The officer told the woman to call police if she needs any help in the future.
• A vehicle was found in violation of multiple vehicle and traffic law infractions on Main Street on May 26.
• Insect bait syringes dropped on Ocean Avenue were picked up by police on May 26.
• Police responded to a call on marine radio channel 16 for a boat in distress off of Eatons Neck with children onboard around 5 p.m. May 26. A Boston Whaler with six teenagers between ages 16 and 17 was out of gas. They were waving people over. The boat was towed to the fuel dock without further issue. The vessel belonged to one of the teenager's grandfather.