The Nassau County Police Department said it had arrested 35 people, 15 of whom were connected to gangs, at a Tuesday, April 21, press conference.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman said this was part of a police initiative to target gang activity, with arrests beginning on April 15. He said the people arrested had illegal drugs and firearms and were members of Blood, Crip, MS-13 and Zoe Pound gangs.
Blakeman blamed state laws on cashless bail, which theBrenner Center for Justicesays promotes fairness and reduces unnecessary pretrial incarceration, and the New YorkRaise the Agelaw for repeat offenders and a “turnstile” of jailing and release.
“As part of this gang initiative, we have taken nine, now 10 handguns off the street,” Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “When you bring gang violence to Nassau County, we answer. We have a zero tolerance for it. This is our gang.”
He said the police recovered weapons, including guns, a knuckle knife, a bill counter, a kilo press and Oxycodone.
Among those arrested wasKeith Estrada, who is accused of stabbing someone last week and andis Crip-affiliated, according to the police commission. Estrada is being charged with attempted murder and assault and has been remanded, he said.
Ryder said four of the women arrested, Ariane Henry, Simone Williams, Malani Williams and Lyric Adiansing, were also members of gangs. He alleged they were in a fight during which they “gouged out” another woman’s eye.
The commissioner said Damien Brown, Devon Perkins and Audubree Steele were arrested for allegedly possessing illegal guns.
Ryder said the police are pursuing further initiatives to make more gang-related arrests.
He said that these arrests were unrelated to the recentshooting at Eisenhower Park.
Source: LI Press
