Nassau police break up 'unauthorized car rally' at Green Acres Mall

Nassau County police officers issued 40 summonses to people at an unauthorized car rally in the Green Acres Mall parking lot on Saturday night, a department spokesperson said.

Two vehicles were impounded and one arrest was made at the incident on Sunrise Highway in Valley Stream, according to a news release.

Justin Walcott, 26, of St. Albans, Queens, was charged with forgery of a vehicle identification number and criminal possession of a forged instrument. He was also issued multiple vehicle and traffic law summonses, police said.

Walcott was in possession of a forged license plate, the spokesperson said.

At his arraignment Sunday in First District Court in Hempstead, Walcott pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance, according to court records. He was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, in a prepared statement Sunday afternoon, said: "Unauthorized car rallies will not be tolerated in Nassau County. In some cases, these rallies have created dangerous traffic conditions due to unsafe driving and exhibitionism."

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.