Westhampton Teen Stole String Of Cars, Went Joyriding, Burglarized Homes: Police

WESTHAMPTON, NY — A Westhampton teen has been charged with stealing a string of cars and burglarizing two homes, police said.

According to Southampton Town Police, a call came in on October 2 about a "suspicious person" in a Shore Road residence.

Responding officers arrived on scene and found Lawrence E. Brown Jr, 18, of Westhampton attempting to abscond from the area with stolen property, police said.

Brown was detained and subsequently taken into custody; he was charged with burglarizing a home in the area, and additionally stealing plates from a vehicle at a second residence on Shore Road, police said.

According to police, Brown was transported to Southampton Town Police Headquarters where he was charged with:

Second degree burglary, a felony, for burglarizing the Shore Road residence earlier in the day on October 2.

Third degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. Through investigation, detectives were able to identify Brown as the person who utilized a 2006 Land Rover, without the owner’s permission, during the overnight hours of Saturday, October 1, into Sunday, October 2, police said. That vehicle was taken by Brown from a South Road, Westhampton, residence and utilized by Brown "to joyride for no legitimate purpose", and then returned to that residence, so Brown could utilize the vehicle again in the future, unbeknownst to its owner, police said.

In addition, Brown was also slapped with other charges stemming from incidents occurring between August 1 until the time of his arrest, police said.

Those include three counts of third degree grand larceny, all felonies, for stealing the same vehicle on three separate dates, police said.

Brown initially stole the vehicle from a Baycrest Avenue residence on August 1, and after utilizing the vehicle to joyride throughout Southampton and Brookhaven towns, Brown became disabled in the vehicle while attempting to drive the car on Smith Point Beach in Mastic, police said.

The vehicle was located and returned to its owner, police said.

Brown stole the same vehicle on August 12, once again utilizing the vehicle without its owners knowledge or permission, police said.

He eventually crashed the vehicle on Doctor’s Path in Riverhead on the same evening he stole it, and fled the accident location, police said. The vehicle was once again returned to its owner, and on August 13, Brown stole the vehicle for a third time, abandoning the vehicle at an abandoned residence on South Road in Westhampton.

Brown was also charged with third degree grand larceny, a felony, after an incident that occurred on August 31 when he stole a 2014 Toyota Tundra pick-up from a Castleview Court, Westhampton residence, which he utilized without permission or knowledge of its owner, police said. He "dumped" the vehicle again at the same South Road, Westhampton location where he had previously left the Red Dodge truck, police said.

In addition, Brown was charged with fourth degree grand larceny, a felony, after a September 9 incident when he stole a 1998 Red Dodge pick-up truck from an Aupaucuck Point Road, Westhampton residence, police said.

Brown again utilized the vehicle for joyriding without the knowledge or permission of its owner, police said.

"In this incident, Mr. Brown attempted to destroy the vehicle fearing he had left trace evidence in same. He did so by intentionally driving the vehicle into the bay in Westhampton," police said.

Brown was also charged with one additional count of second degree burglary, a felony, for an incident on September 26 when, looking to steal a car without success, he unlawfully entered an Eastport residence on Montauk Highway and stole numerous liquor bottles, police said.

In total, Brown was charged with with two counts of second degree burglary, four counts of third degree grand larceny, one count of fourth degree grand larceny, and one count of third degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, police said.

Brown is currently being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility, with additional charges pending, police said.