Rocky Point Pair Indicted In Nesconset Home Invasion: Suffolk DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A man and a woman from Rocky Point are facing upgraded charges after burglarizing a Nesconset home while its owner hid in the kitchen earlier this month, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said.

Caesar Powell, 29, and Tara Barton, 23, are each charged with first, second, and third-degree burglary, all felonies, according to an indictment unveiled in court on Wednesday. Powell has been additionally charged with two counts of possession of burglars' tools, a misdemeanor.

On Aug. 8, an 88-year-old Nesconset man heard someone inside of his Gibbs Pond Road home, and saw flashlights inside the house at about 9:25 p.m., and called his grandson, who then called 911, prosecutors said. The man armed himself with a knife and hid in his kitchen, but later suffered a laceration to his hand in a confrontation, and then the pair left his home, according to prosecutors.

Police Officer Daniel Naglieri responded to the home and saw Powell and Barton leaving, then apprehended and questioned them, prosecutors said, adding, Powell was allegedly armed with a knife and a screwdriver.

The man’s injury required stitches, prosecutors said.

Sini said, “no one should be made to feel unsafe in his or her home, which is why my office takes residential burglaries extremely seriously.”

“This was undoubtedly a terrifying ordeal for the homeowner, but thanks to his quick thinking, the assistance from his grandson, and the swift response from the Suffolk County Police Department, the defendants were apprehended immediately upon leaving the home,” he said, adding, “They’re now facing multiple felony charges and we will hold them accountable.”

Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron called it an “extremely frightening incident for the homeowner, who, despite having two strangers break into his home, was able to call for help and fight off the pair.

“I would like to commend the victim for his bravery, Officer Naglieri for the swift apprehension of these defendants, and the District Attorney’s Office for holding them accountable,” he said.

Bail was set for Powell at $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond, or $500,000 partially-secured bond, Sini’s office said.

Powell’s attorney, Danielle Papa of Hauppauge, declined comment on the case.

Barton’s attorney, Christopher Brocato of Central Islip, said she has entered a not guilty plea “and is looking forward to her day in court.”

“We believe when all the evidence is presented she will be exonerated,” he wrote in an email.

She is being held on $75,000 or $150,000 bond, Brocato added.

Powell and Barton are due back in court on Sept. 28 and 29, respectively.

If convicted of the top count, Powell, and Barton each face up to 25 years in prison.