Suffolk County Police report the arrest of a motorcyclist in Coram for possession of a stolen weapon.
A Highway Patrol officer responded to a 911 report of motorcycles operating recklessly eastbound on the Long Island Expressway near Exit 60 at approximately 11 p.m. When the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop of a 2006 Yamaha motorcycle, the motorcyclist, Manny Fernandez, failed to stop, took Exit 65, reversed direction and headed westbound on the LIE. The motorcycle left the expressway at Exit 63, heading northbound on North Ocean Avenue. Fernandez stopped the motorcycle in the vicinity of 451 Route 25 and fled on foot.
Canine Section officers located Fernandez in a nearby wooded area and recovered a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen in Alabama. Fernandez was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Fernandez, 31, of Patchogue, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4th Degree, Reckless Driving and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd Degree. He was also issued 12 summonses for various traffic violations. Fernandez was held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.