Long Beach man arrested in Oceanside following auto theft

A Long Beach man was arrested in Oceanside on Nov. 17 after he allegedly stole a flat bed tow truck and fled the scene of two separate car accidents.

According to Nassau County detectives, at around 5:00 p.m. that day, officers responded to a car accident at Atlantic Avenue and Lawson Boulevard in Oceanside. When they arrived, police said, the officers were approached by a man who informed them that he had called police and was a victim of an auto accident that occurred on Long Beach Road and Daly Boulevard.

According to police, the man pointed out Richie Medina, 22, of Long Beach, as the driver of the flat bed truck that had allegedly hit his car and who later left the scene.

During the investigation, police said, the arresting officers discovered that the flat bed tow truck had been stolen from 550 Long Beach Blvd. Medina, they said, had also been involved in a second car accident at Austin Boulevard and California Place in Island Park where he had left the scene. Police said that a woman at this scene told police her car had also been hit by a flat bed tow truck.

Medina was arrested and taken to the Fourth Precinct in Hewlett. While he was being processed, police said Medina assaulted two Nassau County police officers. One of the officers injured his knees when he was pushed to the floor and the other officer, police said, sustained a puncture wound to his hand during the struggle with Medina.

Medina was eventually handcuffed when a third officer arrived to assist, and both officers were transported to an area hospital. Medina was charged with second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, two counts of second-degree assault, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, unlicensed operator and two counts of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting. He was arraigned on Nov. 18 at First District Court in Hempstead.