Arrest made in fatal Greenport hit-and-run, Southold Town police say
A 20-year-old driver has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run death of a world-traveling 87-year-old woman Monday in Greenport, Southold Town police said.
The driver, identified as Denilson Eduardo Gomez-Jolon of Greenport, was arrested by police as he drove into the village more than 11 hours after the fatal accident Monday, police said. Police said a Southold police officer spotted the vehicle around 7 p.m. and initiated a traffic stop, arresting Gomez-Jolon after an investigation.
Gomez-Jolon was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and obstructed view.
He was arraigned in Southold Town Justice Court and released on his own recognizance, on the condition he meet with a probation officer, police said.
It was not known Wednesday if Gomez-Jolon was represented by an attorney.
Police identified the victim as Elaine Schwartz, a resident of Peconic Landing in Greenport, and said she was struck at the intersection of Front and Third streets at about 7:20 a.m. Monday. Schwartz was transported to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, where she died, police said.
A 2018 profile of Schwartz described her world travels and included photos of Schwartz kayaking in Antarctica. The profile reported that after Schwartz retired from a career as a special education curriculum consultant at age 66, she traveled to 81 countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, Tibet and Colombia — and said that in 2017, at age 84, she had kayaked in both the Arctic and Antarctica.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
'He will be ... coming out of prison in a body bag' Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail.
'He will be ... coming out of prison in a body bag' Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail.
