EH Town Cops Charge Two With DWI

Two separate incidents June 15 around midnight led to the arrests of part-time Northwest Woods residents on misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated. Both defendants explained during their Sunday morning arraignments in East Hampton Town Justice Court that they are in the East Hampton area every summer season, each providing personal services to a different wealthy client, whom they follow south at the end of the summer.

Gabriel Hale, 31, was driving south at midnight on Springs Fireplace Road in a 2015 Land Rover when he allegedly rear-ended a 2009 Toyota being driven by an East Hampton resident. After striking the Toyota, Hale allegedly made a quick U-turn and headed north, without stopping. Police said they found him a short time later asleep behind the wheel in the driveway of a Banks Court residence. Besides DWI, he is facing a charge of leaving the scene of an accident where there is property damage involved, and three moving violations.

Carl Irace, who was in court to represent defendants being arraigned over the weekend, told East Hampton Town Justice Lisa Rana “that a significant amount of time had passed between the accident and his arrest,” questioning the strength of the charge. Rana said that is a point whomever Hale hires to represent him will have to take up. One of the rules of the state-run weekend arraignment program is that defendants are not allowed to hire the lawyer on hand for the arraignment.

Rana agreed to release Hale without bail.

She also ordered the other defendant arraigned Sunday to be released without bail. Florencia Masante, 52, was pulled over a little before midnight on Amagansett Main Street while driving a 2013 Porsche, for reportedly not turning her headlights on. As with Hale, she failed sobriety tests, and was placed under arrest on DWI charges.

t.e@indyeastend.com