East End DWI Task Force Nets 5 Charged With Driving Drunk: Police

A crackdown on drunk driving on the East End led to five arrests Saturday night, police said.

According to Southampton Town Police, an East End DWI Task Force initiatve, held from 8 p.m. Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday in Southampton Town included nine members of the Southampton Town Police Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, Sag Harbor Village Police Department, the Southampton Village Police Department, the East Hampton Town Police Department and East Hampton Village Police Department.

A roadside checkpoint was set up on Montauk Highway near Flanders Road in Hampton Bays from 9 p.m. to 11:15 p.m., police said.

During that time 368 vehicles were screened, resulting in two charges of driving while intoxicated and one charge of criminal possession of marijuana, police said.

After 11:15 p.m., saturation patrols were utilized throughout Southampton Town, where another 49 vehicles were screened, resulting in an additional three DWI charges.

After DWI charge for driver, passenger flees in car, driving over curbs and medians during chase

Pablo G. Carchipulla, 31, Flanders was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a felony, and second degree, and circumventing an ignition interlock device after he entered the checkpoint and was found to be intoxicated, police said. He was found to be driving with a suspended license for a prior DWI offense and without an ignition interlock as required, police said. He was also found to have an active arrest warrant from the East Hampton Town Police from a prior DWI offense, police said.

Geovany Plaza, 27, of Sag Harbor was charged with driving while intoxicated, a felony, due to a prior DWI conviction, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a felony, aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree, circumventing an ignition interlock device and numerous traffic infractions, police said. Plaza, who was a passenger in Carchipulla’s vehicle, re-entered the vehicle after Carchipulla’s arrest and fled in the vehicle as it was to be impounded, driving across curbs and medians without the headlights and onto Flanders Road then Sunrise Highway until he was apprehended by task force officers and was found to be intoxicated, having a suspended license due to a prior DWI offense, and operating a vehicle without an Ignition Interlock as required, police said.

Sebestian Ospina-Henao, 20, of Hampton Bays, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree, aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree, and failure to obey traffic direction after he was stopped when attempting to evade the checkpoint by making an unlawful U-turn, police said. A strong odor of marijuana was detected from his vehicle and a search resulted in the recovery of more than an ounce of marijuana from within the vehicle, police siad. He was also found to have a suspended license due to a prior DWI offense, police said.

Maguiber Ramirez-Barrera, 24, of Farmingville, was charged with driving while intoxicated after he was observed failing to keep his vehicle within the travel lane while westbound on Sunrise Highway near exit 65, police said.

Mollie Caitlin Bower, 27 of Philadelphia, was charged with driving while intoxicated after she was observed operating a vehicle on Springville Road in Hampton Bays without headlights, police said. She was found to be in possession of an open alcoholic beverage in the vehicle, police said.

Lori Ligrace Snyder, 53, of Great Neck Plaza, was charged with driving while intoxicated after she was stopped on County Road 39 for making an improper left turn at North Sea Road and was found to be intoxicated, police said.

All arrested were processed at Southampton Town Police headquarters and held for morning arraignment, police said.

No accidents involving injuries were reported in Southampton Town during the DWI Task Force enforcement detail, police said.