A Medford man was arrested on a felony stolen property charge after refusing to stop for police and crashing his car into a parked truck outside a West Main Street moving company Saturday morning, according to Riverhead Town Police.
A patrol officer observed a vehicle being operated erratically westbound on East Main Street Saturday at about 5:55 a.m., then run a red light at Roanoke Avenue, police said in a press release. The officer, in a marked patrol car, attempted to stop the driver of the vehicle, a 2010 Honda Civic, but the driver refused to stop, police said.
The operator of the Honda pulled into the parking lot of Velvet Touch Moving at 606 West Main Street and collided with a large moving truck parked outside.
Arthur Cortes, 54, of Medford, the operator of the Honda, sustained minor injuries in the collision and was transported by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Peconic Bay Medical Center, police said. Cortes was placed under arrest and following treatment, was transported to the Riverhead Police Department where he was processed on charges of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, as well as several Vehicle and Traffic Law violations, according to the report. Police did not provide information about the nature of the stolen property.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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