Police charge homeless man in Friday morning holdup, recover pistol at scene of second attack

Riverhead Police have arrested a homeless man in connection with an attempted robbery early Friday morning in Polish Town.

Police have charged Monwell Wright, 20, with attempted robbery in the first degree, assault in the second degree, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Wright is accused of participating in the attempted robbery of Ervin Guzman on Sweezy Avenue at about 6:15 Friday morning.

The victim, Ervin Guzman, 26, told police he was walking on Sweezy Avenue on his way to work when he was approached by a man and a woman near the intersection at Pulaski Street. The woman pointed a handgun at Guzman and the man demanded money, police said. The man then hit Guzman in the face, head and shoulder with a large rock, causing Guzman to fall to the ground, police said. The man continued to beat Guzman with the rock and demand money, according to the police report. Both suspects fled on foot without obtaining any money or other proceeds; they ran eastbound on Pulaski Street, police said.

Wright was arrested without incident today at 2:11 p.m. on Railroad Avenue, police said in a press release issued this evening. At the time of his arrest, police said, Wright was found to be in possession of a Desert Eagle Airsoft pistol and two Suboxone sublingual films. Suboxone sublingual films, which contain drugs are used to treat patients addicted to opiate drugs like heroin, morphine or oxycodone.

Police Chief David Hegermiller said tonight he could not comment on whether Wright is a suspect in a second robbery attempt late Friday night on Griffing Avenue or in the theft of a motor vehicle early Saturday morning on Sweezy Avenue near the location of yesterday morning’s attempted robbery.

“The other incidents are still under investigation,” Hegermiller said.

In Friday night’s robbery attempt, a 33-year-old Calverton man walking on Griffing Avenue was approached by two men near the railroad tracks. One man pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the victim, Baldomero Cojon Cotzoj, and demanded cash. He hit the victim in the head several times with the butt of the handgun, police said.

Early Saturday morning, Riverhead police recovered a broken HK P30 Airsoft pistol on the railroad tracks near the scene of Friday night’s attack.

Both victims were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps for treatment of injuries sustained in the attacks; both were treated and released, police said.

Earlier this month Wright was charged in connection with the early morning theft of a pickup truck left idling in front of Speeds Express Deli on Osborn Avenue, just north of the railroad tracks. He was arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property after he allegedly attempted to sell the pickup to a local scrap metal dealer. That charge is still pending in justice court, Hegermiller said.

Hegermiller said he could not comment on whether Wright is a suspect in this morning’s car theft on Sweezy Avenue, which is also under investigation or whether the stolen vehicle, a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, has been recovered.

Wright was processed and held for arraignment, police said.

The defendant, whom police described as undomiciled, has had several run-ins with the law in the past year, in addition to his arrests this month. He was charged with criminal trespass in November, indecent exposure and unlawful possession of marijuana in August and menacing and harassment in July.

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.