Police: Off-Duty Cop Helps Nab Home Depot Thieves

An off-duty Suffolk County cop helped put four men in handcuffs Tuesday after the men stole items from a Bellport Home Depot, police said.

Police said three men entered the Home Depot, located at 20 Farber Drive in Bellport, and stole assorted power tools around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. 

The men fled into a waiting Ford Explorer and Fifth Precinct officer Martin Gill responded to the store and took a report on the incident, police said. 

On his way home, Gill observed an SUV matching the suspects’ vehicle, police said. 

Gill followed the vehicle and gave updates to a dispatcher until marked units arrived and stopped the vehicle on County Road 99 and Patchogue-Holbrook Road in Holbrook at approximately 4:15 p.m., police said. 

The following people were arrested and charged with fourth degree grand larceny, a felony:

• Frank Defilipo, 35, of Staten Island
• Ryan Dayton, 31, of East Islip
• Jonathan Farinella, 26, of East Patchogue
• Jeffrey Merritt, 23, of Hope Mills, North Carolina

The Fifth Squad is continuing the investigation and detectives are attempting to determine if the men arrested are responsible for additional thefts from other home improvement stores, police said.