Gun Found In DWI Sweep

Cops checking for drunk and high drivers got a little more than they bargained for when they stumbled — in two separate instances — upon a woman with a loaded gun and a man with 29 driving suspensions at a checkpoint in Riverside over the weekend.

Southampton cops said a 23-year-old North Augusta, South Carolina woman, one of seven people arrested Saturday at a checkpoint on Flanders Road at Enterprise Zone Drive, was caught with a loaded gun and self-defense spray. Ashley Nicole Wheeler of North Augusta was charged with second-and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of a noxious material, cops said. No further information about the arrest was released.

A man from North Augusta, SC was also arrested at the checkpoint, but for unlawful possession of marijuana, cops said, though it is not clear if the arrest was related to that of Wheeler’s.

As of deadline she was being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead on $30,000 bail, according to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.

In another scenario that played out at the checkpoint, Devon Clemons, 26, of Riverhead was arrested on misdemeanor charges of second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation for driving with 29 suspensions of his license, police said.

Arrested at the checkpoint for driving while intoxicated were: Napolean Delossantos-Franco, 33, of Bridgehampton; Cynthia Hoghkirk, 53, of Aquebogue; Edyn Lopez, 27, of Riverhead; Enrique Maricio-Rivera, 52, of Hampton Bays; Cornelio Martinez, 30, of Riverhead; and Tawnee Peterson, 35, of Hampton Bays.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s East End Driving While Intoxicated Task Force orchestrated the crackdown over Saturday and Sunday. All together 17 people were arrested between Southampton and Riverhead towns. Two hundred and twenty four cars were screened and nine people were arrested during the Southampton prong of the operation, which included the sheriff’s and village police departments.

Police said no collision-related injuries were reported within the unincorporated areas of Southampton during enforcement detail.

In the Riverhead prong of the operation, police made eight arrests — including one for aggravated driving while intoxicated — working along with Suffolk County, Southold, and New York State Troopers at several checkpoints and on extra patrols throughout the evening.

Arrested in the sweep was 59-year-old Aquebogue resident Michael Pressler, who was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and unlawful possession of marijuana, as well as vehicle and traffic violations; and Eli Kowalski, 30, of Brooklyn, who was charged with driving while intoxicated. He was additionally slapped with vehicle and traffic violations.

Also charged with driving while intoxicated was Cecelia Dmitrash, 36, of Flanders, Gelvin Santiago, 30, of Riverhead, and Tamien Trent, 36, of Mastic. Santiago was additionally charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Three people were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana in the sweep.

peggy@indyeastend.com