Rockville Centre police make five arrests downtown

Village police officers had their hands full early Saturday morning as they made at least five arrests downtown — at McFadden’s Bar, 210 Merrick Road and almost simultaneously, in a separate incident, at Miceli’s Pizza, 19 N. Park Ave.

At 2:59 a.m., Brian A. Hendricks, 23, of Veronica Court, Smithtown was arrested and charged with assault following an investigation at McFadden’s. At 4:34 a.m., Patrick T. Gilmore, 21, of Groton Place, W. Hempstead was arrested and charged with criminal impersonation in connection with Hendricks’ arrest.

Around the corner at Miceli’s, at just about the same time — 4:22 a.m. — Benny Baez-Hernandez, 29, of Maryann Lane, West Hempstead was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon, assault and resisting arrest. Officers also arrested two village men — Freddy Rodriguez, 25, of S. Kensington Avenue and Raymond Beranger III, 34, of N. Park Avenue — at the pizza place moments later and charged both of them with possession of a dangerous weapon, assault and resisting arrest.

“We have a very vibrant downtown late night district that draws people from all over the island and New York City, and as a result we’re going to have issues like this,” said Police Commissioner Charles Gennario.

“We have a lot of clubs in the village and coupled with excessive alcohol you’re going to have these problems. We do the best we can in trying to control the behavior of the club goers but sometimes there is insufficient personnel to police the conditions that the clubs create,” he said.

Zero tolerance for St. Pat’s Parade

Gennario added that the upcoming St. Patrick’s Parade “after-event” is a costly endeavor and of concern to the Rockville Centre police department. He said that policing the partying that follows the parade, set for March 19, is “an all-hands event where everyone who is not working is called in to work.”

The department has a zero tolerance policy and will be out in force this year, Gennario warned. “Public consumption, intoxication, urination and disorderly conduct will not be tolerated and all quality of life issues will be enforced.”

Gennario added that he has asked local bar owners to voluntarily close their establishments early that night, at 1 a.m., instead of the usual closing time of 5 a.m.

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