Syosset man gets 5-year sentence for tossing objects off overpass

A Syosset man was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday for hurling bricks and cinder blocks at vehicles from a Uniondale overpass on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in 2015, leaving one of the motorist whose car was struck with a permanent eye injury.

Jacob Palant, 21, a welder, who received a lighter punishment than his co-defendant, remained largely silent throughout the brief court appearance in Nassau County Court in Mineola.

“You’re just very, very fortunate that the injury was only to one person because this could have been a whole lot worse,” Acting State Supreme Court Justice Meryl Berkowitz told Palant before she imposed the minimum sentence Nassau prosecutors recommended.

Palant and co-defendant, Andrew Denton, 20, of East Meadow, were each convicted by a jury on May 17 of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief. The sentences for the other crimes — ranging from one to three years — will run concurrently.

The most serious charge, first-degree assault, carries a punishment of 5 to 25 years in prison. On Aug. 21, Berkowitz sentenced Denton to 10 years in prison.

Twice on Dec. 26, 2015, according to Nassau prosecutors, Palant and Denton tossed paving bricks and cinder blocks from the overpass bridge. No vehicles were hit the first time but the pair tossed objects again about 8 p.m., hitting a 1996 BMW and a 2015 Jeep, prosecutors said.

A paving brick crashed through the windshield of the BMW, which was traveling north on the Meadowbrook, sending glass shards into the left eye of Brianna Rios, then 22, of West Hempstead. At the trial, Rios testified she has a permanent scar on her cornea and suffers from blurry vision in that eye.

Another object struck the Jeep. No other motorists were seriously injured.

Two teens — who were with Palant and Denton but did not take part in throwing the construction materials — testified for the prosecution and were not charged with any crimes, said Donna Aldea, one of Palant’s lawyers.

In a plea for leniency, more than a dozen people, including Palant’s former employer and teachers, wrote letters attesting to his good character.

“In general, I find Jacob to be an honest and reliable young man with a good heart,” said the general manager who hired Palant.

Berkowitz urged Palant to steer clear of troubles while he is in prison and use his incarceration to further develop his skills as welder.

“I really hope that you’ll use whatever time that you have to get your life together,” the judge told Palant minutes before court officers placed handcuffs on him and took him into custody.

Berkowitz also said she hopes Palant finds a new set of friends after his release.

“I wish you luck,” she said.

“Thank you,” Palant replied.

Palant’s parents, brother, and grandparents declined to comment, Aldea said.

Aldea said she plans to appeal the assault convictions, saying Rios’ injuries did not rise to the level of “serious physical injury” to sufficiently support those two charges.