Man arrested for shooting into homes in Bellport, police say
A Patchogue man is facing charges after he fired shots into a pair of homes on Atlantic Avenue in Bellport earlier this month, Suffolk County police said.
Tarik Rountree, 27, was arrested by Suffolk police and members of the U.S. Marshals Service shortly before 6 a.m. Friday and was charged with two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Rountree’s acquaintance, Jahvara Rich, 31, of Patchogue, also was arrested and charged with third-degree falsely reporting an incident for telling police the vehicle used in the shooting had been stolen, police said.
Shots were fired on Aug. 2 at 11:20 p.m. into an occupied home on Atlantic Avenue, police said. No one was injured, police said.
Fifth Precinct police officers, who were on patrol on Atlantic Avenue later that night, heard multiple shots fired at about 2:30 a.m. and determined they, too, were fired into an Atlantic Avenue home, authorities said.
Officers saw a 2021 Kia driving away from the scene. Later, the unoccupied Kia was located in a wooded area after a crash, police said.
Rich, the owner of the Kia, told police that her car had been stolen, police said.
Rountree will be held overnight at the Third Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday. Rich was released on a desk appearance ticket.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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