Derrick Clancy charged with committing sexual abuse during Mastic Beach burglaries
Derrick Clancy appears at his arraignment Wednesday at criminal court in Riverhead. Credit: Tom Lambui
A homeless man charged with burglary for breaking into the homes of two Mastic Beach women also sexually abused his victims, prosecutors said at his arraignment Wednesday.
Derrick Clancy, 42, was arraigned before acting Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis on a nine-count indictment that includes new charges of second-degree aggravated sex abuse, first-degree sex abuse, second-degree assault and criminal obstruction of breathing. He was remanded to the county jail following the proceeding at the criminal courthouse in Riverhead, where Wilutis deemed him a flight risk and noted a prior felony history.
"Given the crimes and given that he was specifically targeting elderly women, this was particularly dangerous," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said outside the courtroom. "Unfortunately, we have two victims, but without the quick-acting work of the police working with our prosecutors, it could have been worse."
Police and prosecutors have said Clancy climbed through an unlocked window into the home of a 78-year-old woman around 4 a.m. on Oct. 10. A week later, on Oct. 17, he broke a window and entered the home of another woman, 76, about 12:40 a.m., police previously said. The two houses are within blocks of each other.
Clancy was identified as a suspect after investigators matched his DNA with a sample taken from a window in one of the homes. He has prior violent felony convictions for sexual abuse in 2000 and a 2011 robbery, for which he is still on parole.
Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Creighton told Wilutis that Clancy cut screens on the windows of both homes he entered. In the Oct. 10 attack, the alleged victim watched Clancy, who had a mask covering his face, enter the home after she heard a noise in the hallway while watching television and attempted to see what was happening, Creighton said.
Clancy pushed her to the ground and repeatedly punched her, the prosecutor said. The 78-year-old woman was able to alert authorities using a medical assistance device shortly after Clancy placed his hands inside her pants.
In the second incident, he exposed himself to the woman after allegedly throwing her down in a bathroom, though the victim fought back, prosecutors said.
"The defendant began to punch her, and every time the victim fought back he punched her harder," Creighton said.
In that attack, he shouted, "Where's the money?" to the victim, who informed him she had no money on her, prosecutors said.
He placed the woman in a chokehold as she shouted for help from her two dogs outside and eventually fled the scene, Creighton said.
Both women were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries related to the attacks, police had said.
Clancy was arrested in Islip on Oct. 21 and initially charged with burglary, court records show.
Police urged residents in the Mastic-Shirley area to take extra precautions in the weeks Clancy was at large, including keeping windows locked.
At an initial news conference announcing the attacks on Oct. 19, police unveiled a sketch based on a description one of the victims had given. Police noted the perpetrator had not stolen any items from either home but had not disclosed that the attacks were sexual in nature.
Tierney said investigators have no information indicating Clancy was involved in any other recent attacks.
Clancy, who is classified as a repeat violent felony offender, faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted of the two burglary charges.
Wilutis also ordered a psychiatric examination of Clancy, who was non-responsive at one point when the judge addressed him during the arraignment. He is due back in court Dec. 11.
Michael Elbert of Melville, Clancy's court-appointed attorney, declined to comment.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
