Middle Island man charged with lewd act in store before girl, police say

Suffolk detectives said on Thursday that they have arrested a 53-year-old Middle Island man who committed a lewd act in front of an 11-year-old girl at a Walmart store in his hometown Wednesday.

Reynaldo Flores of Half Mile Road was charged with public lewdness and endangering the welfare of a child a day after the 11:45 a.m. incident at 750 Middle Country Rd., police said. It was unclear Thursday whether he had retained an attorney.

The girl was shopping in the store with her father when the incident occurred. The suspect fled when the girl told her father about Flores' alleged actions.

Flores was being held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday. Police ask anyone with information about the incident or who might be a victim to call Sixth Squad detectives at 631-854-8652.