Man reports assault and robbery in drug deal gone bad in downtown Riverhead

Update:

The Riverhead man who told police he was beaten and robbed while trying to buy marijuana last night from two men in downtown Riverhead served prison time in connection with a 2006 gang assault in Riverhead that left a Flanders man dead in another drug deal gone bad.

Eric J. Montez, 35, was convicted of attempted gang assault following his September 2007 arrest, along with two other Riverhead men and a Mastic Beach man, in the beating death of Jaime Figueroa, 35, of Flanders.

Figueroa’s body was found Oct. 4, 2006 in a wooded area off Union Avenue in Riverhead. Police at the time said the four men jumped Figueroa the night before after selling him crack cocaine, then dragged him into the woods and subjected him to a “prolonged” beating, according to Newsday. Suffolk County homicide commander Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick told Newsday the men believed, incorrectly, their victim was a police informant.

Montez was subsequently convicted of attempted gang assault in the first degree and was sentenced to five years in state prison. He was released on parole Dec. 25, 2011.

The other three men arrested in connection with the attack, Kenneth Hughes and Jared Hysell, of Riverhead and Kristan Miles of Mastic Beach, were also convicted of attempted gang assault and also served time in upstate prisons. They have all since been released.

Original story:

A Riverhead resident was beaten and robbed of $3,700 in cash early this morning in a drug deal gone bad, according to Riverhead Police.

Police said Eric J. Montez, who lives on East Avenue Extension in Riverhead told officers he got into a gray or silver four-door sedan with two men he claims he doesn’t know to buy marijuana. They drove him a short distance from his home and then assaulted him and robbed him of the money, police said.

Montez was then “removed from the vehicle” and walked home, according to the report. A friend drove him to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the assault. Police were called to the hospital at 1:44 a.m., according to a press release issued this morning.

The assailants were described by the victim as African-American males, police said.

The Riverhead Police detective division also responded to PBMC to continue the investigation.

Anyone with information related to this assault and robbery can contact the Riverhead Police Department at 727-4500 ext. 321.