During the Wednesday, Nov. 20 meeting of the Nassau County Legislature, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé (D – Freeport) joined Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, the Nassau Detectives Association and her colleagues in honoring November “Top Cops” for their heroic response to a disturbing case involving the sexual abuse of a child.
On June 7, the Nassau County Police Department’s Special Victims Squad was notified by the NCPD’s first squad of a case report of a father sexually abusing his child. After being transported to The Safe Center to ensure her protection, the victim told detectives that the suspect threatened to kill her other family members if she told anyone about the abuse.
Once the victim and her family were relocated to a safe house and issued an order of protection, Nassau County Police Department Detective Fabian Cardona, Detective Aileen Newbold, and Detective Sergeant Juan Giron responded to the subject’s residence on Nov. 11. Upon learning that the suspect was at a nearby gas station, the detectives canvassed the area and learned that he saw them on his doorbell camera; thereafter, while conducting surveillance at the home, the suspect set fire to his house in an apparent suicide attempt.
While awaiting additional units and the fire department, the detectives kicked down the front door and rushed into the home to evacuate the suspect, but heavy smoke, intense heat, and the raging fire made it impossible to reach him. After emergency units arrived and extinguished the fire, the suspect was rushed to the Nassau University Medical Center burn unit, where he died two days later.
“I cannot imagine the bravery that accompanied going into a home that is on fire – and to get out a person you know has done terrible things, but you want to save his life anyway,” Legislator Mulé said. “It really represents the best of your training and you as people and I admire you so much. On behalf of the residents of Baldwin, I thank you.”