Latest news with #SuffolkCounty
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Text phishing scheme bilks Long Island woman out of $15,000. Here's how you can avoid becoming a victim.
The Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit is investigating what it calls a growing trend of scammers targeting senior citizens with text messages. One Long Island woman says she was bilked out of $15,000. Lucille Daileader received a text that said, "You have been charged $126 via Apple Pay." The 78-year-old retired art teacher immediately deleted the message, but then her nightmare began. She said she received multiple calls from people claiming to be from Apple and her bank. She said she was told, "Because my bank account was compromised, I should take $15,000 out of my savings account." She said the alleged fraudsters then told her they'd open a new account with the money. "So I got in the car and went to the bank. I said, 'Oh, I need this money for the movers,'" Daileader said. She had recently moved into a new condo in Port Jefferson Station, and with the money in hand she returned home and placed the cash into a box and then waited next to her gated community to pass it off. "The man gave me the password, so I figured it was legit, and he took the money and ran," she said. According to the Federal Trade Commission, texting schemes skyrocketed five-fold last year, with victims losing a combined $470 million, but added most frauds go unreported. Police say do not click or respond to these types of texts because most are phishing schemes. Litigation attorney Andrew Leib says if you find yourself in a situation similar to Daileader's, call the police immediately. "A civil litigator can't do much to get it back. I can't get blood from a stone, and these people are probably in some foreign country," Leib said. "The police have a report of all the names and phone numbers," Daileader said. "I did go to a seminar with the district attorney's office, geared to scamming senior citizens. I feel embarrassed that I fell for it, but I feel I need to get word out to my friends so that it doesn't happen to anyone else, and I feel sad."
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus on Long Island
More than a dozen mosquito samples on New York's Long Island have tested positive for West Nile virus, health officials say. The 14 positive mosquito samples were taken in Nesconset, Northport, Dix Hills, Melville, Lindenhurst, West Babylon, St. James, Rocky Point and Holtsville, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott announced Monday. The samples were collected on July 16. To date, Suffolk has reported 15 mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus and four testing positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, Pigott said. "Mosquito activity is picking up with the warmer weather and with it comes the risk of being exposed to West Nile virus," Pigott said. "While there is no cause for alarm, we advise residents to take precautions and cooperate with us in our efforts to reduce exposure to mosquito-borne diseases." West Nile has also been detected in mosquitoes in New York City this year, as experts track a rise in cases nationwide. Suffolk did not report any human cases and neither did the city. West Nile virus has been detected in Suffolk County every year since 1999, when it first appeared, the County Department of Health Services said. There were 21 confirmed cases in 2024 and five in 2023. Two people in New Jersey died from the virus last year. The virus is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected mosquito. "Most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, but some can develop severe symptoms including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis. The symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. Individuals, especially those 50 years or older or those with compromised immune systems, are urged to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes," according to the county's health department. Suffolk's health commissioner released these tips for preventing mosquito bites:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
12-year-old sworn in as honorary sheriff ahead of organ transplant
A 12-year-old New York boy who has kidney failure was sworn in as an honorary sheriff this week. Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. oversaw the swearing-in ceremony of Wyatt Houppert on Tuesday, calling it an important event for everyone at the sheriff's office. "Welcoming Wyatt Houppert as 'Sheriff for the Day' was a meaningful moment for our agency," Toulon said in a statement to "Good Morning America." Son of sheriff's deputy sworn in on the same force as late father Wyatt's mom, Devan Houppert, told "GMA" they found out in 2021 that Wyatt was born with one regular kidney and another "the size of a walnut" that "had never developed." Houppert said doctors told them that over the years, Wyatt's one full-size kidney began to fail, and by February 2025, they learned both of Wyatt's kidneys had gone into failure, and he needed to be treated with hemodialysis and would eventually require a kidney transplant. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hemodialysis is a treatment that helps the body filter water and waste from the bloodstream because the kidneys are unable to do so by themselves. Despite having to undergo dialysis three to four times a week for at least four hours per session, Houppert said her son has not lost hope and has kept a positive outlook for months. "Never for a second did he even consider it's not going to be OK," Houppert said. "It's always, 'We got this. Come on, let's just do it. Where's my kidney? Let's go right now.' And just so positive, just, 'It's going to be OK.'" "Many times, me and my husband have been upset sitting there, and then we're looking at him, going, 'Wait a second, we have so much to learn from this child,'" she added. "Because he's sitting there with the best attitude." Houppert said Dawn Rice, a family friend, volunteered to get evaluated to see if she could donate a kidney to Wyatt, and after testing, she said doctors surprised the family with the news that Rice was "a perfect match" for Wyatt. Rice also happens to be the wife and sister of two corrections officers with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, which honored her as well at Wyatt's "sheriff for the day" ceremony. "[Wyatt's] strength and courage are truly inspiring, and the selfless kidney donation by Dawn Rice reflects the compassion and unity of our Sheriff's Office family," Toulon said. 6-year-old with heart condition sworn in as honorary police officer Houppert said her 12-year-old was "over the moon" to be "sheriff for the day." "He's a very, like, stoic, serious guy. So when you get those smiles, and he's telling you, 'It's the best day ever,' you know that it really was," Houppert recalled. "He definitely took his sheriff duties very seriously all day," she added. "It was so funny hearing him telling his older brother, 'Turn the TV up. I'm the sheriff. We have to get pizza for dinner. I'm the sheriff.'" Wyatt is scheduled to undergo his kidney transplant at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone in New York City on Monday. Dr. Marissa Lipton, a pediatric nephrologist in the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, told "GMA" the kidney transplant will be life-changing for the boy. "Wyatt is an incredible kid with a wonderfully supportive family and community behind him. Our entire team at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone is honored to care for him and support his family as he prepares for his transplant on Monday," Lipton said in an emailed statement. "We're looking forward to getting him off dialysis. This transplant will truly change his life, and we're so grateful to his living donor for this incredible gift," Lipton added. "We can't wait to see Wyatt back to playing outside and enjoying his video games like any active 12-year-old." Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Suffolk County police officer released from hospital as man accused of shooting him appears in court
The man accused of shooting a Suffolk County police officer earlier this week on Long Island appeared in court Friday, as the wounded officer was released from the hospital. Nieves Reyes pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder of a police officer in front of a courtroom packed with law enforcement. Reyes is accused of killing a coworker Wednesday in North Bay Shore, a hamlet in the Town of Islip. While police were investigating the homicide, Reyes allegedly opened fire on them, shooting the injured officer in the face. The bullet entered just below the officer's eye, but he was released from the hospital Friday and is expected to make a full recovery. Police said the 33-year-old has been with the department for two years and is a Navy veteran who's married with three children. "I think he's in a lot of pain, but I think he understands this could've gone a lot worse. I think he's happy to be alive, and we're happy that he is alive," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said Thursday. Meanwhile, Reyes is also charged with killing 66-year-old Eugene Allen, of Brentwood. Prosecutors said Reyes was seen chasing the victim with a machete. Allen's nearly decapitated body was discovered Wednesday in a wooded area near Reyes' home, police said. Investigators said the men worked together, possibly as mechanics, and had a prior dispute. Reyes was ordered held without bail Friday, and his attorney and family members declined to comment outside court.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Associated Press
Police officer shot in the face while investigating a killing in suburban New York
NORTH BAY SHORE, N.Y. (AP) — A police officer was shot in the face while attempting to search a home as part of an investigation into a recent killing in suburban New York, authorities said Thursday. They said the officer was expected to recover, and the suspect ultimately surrendered. The chain of events began Wednesday afternoon, when the body of a 66-year-old man was found in the woods in North Bay Shore, on Long Island. An investigation, including security camera footage, led investigators to want to question a former co-worker of the deceased, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said at a news conference. He said the two apparently were mechanics and had had conflicts in the past. Police obtained a search warrant and went to the 48-year-old man's home, where he fired on officers through an open door, the commissioner said. He said one officer, a 33-year-old former Navy medic with two years on the force, was shot in the face. The impact fractured one of his cheekbones and the bullet lodged near an ear, coming a half-inch (1 cm) from one of his eyes, said surgeon Dr. James Vosswinkel of Stony Brook University Medical Center. He said the officer was spared nerve damage and was on course for a full recovery. The officer underwent surgery to remove the bullet and was recuperating later Thursday morning. 'He's in a lot of pain,' the police commissioner said, but 'he's happy to be alive.' He said no officers fired. Instead, they surrounded the home and summoned hostage negotiators. The suspect surrendered around 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the commissioner. Police haven't yet released the officer's or suspect's name. Charges against the suspect are expected but haven't been announced.
