Massapequa Man Falsely Claims 79-Year-Old Woman Hit His Car, Makes Her Pay Damages: Police

A Massapequa man was arrested after telling a 79-year-old woman that she had to pay over $600 in damages she did not cause to his car last week, Nassau Police said.

On Jan. 5, the woman was driving on Newbridge Road in Levittown when 31-year-old Christopher Gabriele, who was driving a black Acura, motioned for her to pull over, police confirmed.

He then approached the woman, identified himself as Tom Ray Jr., and told her that she had hit his car in the parking lot of Walmart in East Meadow, police said. He then told the woman that she would have to pay $600 for the damages to avoid a police report or filing a claim through insurance, police said.

The woman then went to her home and paid Gabriele the money after he insisted that he hit her car in the parking lot, police said. He returned to her house later that night to present to her a fake estimate from an auto body shop telling her the damage was going to cost more, police said.

The woman than called 911 to report the incident.

Gabriele was arrested and charged with petty larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument, police said.