Cops: Man had grenade launchers at home

A cache of weapons, including grenade launchers and military assault rifles, was seized Friday from the home of an East Meadow man after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, state police said.

Michael R. Anderson, 27, had no permits for any of the 14 guns found in a hidden room inside the residence, said Lt. William Hulse Jr., head of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations.

Hulse said the cache included two military assault rifles, two grenade launchers, a sniper rifle and two handguns with "defaced" serial numbers, which led investigators to believe they may be stolen.

"What he intended to use it for, I don't know," Hulse said at a news conference. "All the magazines were loaded. Insert, and it's ready to be fired."

Anderson was charged with third-degree assault, possession of marijuana found on him and at home, and five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was scheduled to be arraigned Saturday in Hempstead.

The discovery culminated a strange string of events starting Friday morning.

Shortly before 10 a.m., Anderson's girlfriend drove up to Trooper William Bayer, who was involved in a traffic stop on the Wantagh State Parkway in East Meadow.

She told the trooper she had been abused by Anderson and had abrasions on her waist, neck and arms, police said.

The 28-year-old woman accused Anderson of throwing her down a flight of stairs and choking her, Hulse said.

As Bayer called for backup, a passing motorist stopped to say an "agitated" man was walking along the parkway toward them, Hulse said.

Moments later, troopers Tifini Atai and David Augugliaro spotted Anderson on the parkway and took him into custody.

As a result of questions that police usually ask in domestic violence cases, Anderson told investigators that he owned weapons and agreed to a search of his home, Hulse said.

Troopers, including gun specialists, said they found the cache in a hidden room next to a bedroom closet. Police said the room was concealed behind a false wall.

The grenade launchers, about 16 inches long, can be snapped onto an assault rifle, police said. The two military assault rifle seized Friday cannot be owned legally in this country.

While no grenades were found, there were thousands of rounds of military-grade ammunition in the house, Hulse said.

Police said Anderson, a restaurant manager who lives at 240 Bernice Dr., had no prior criminal record. His girlfriend was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Hulse lauded troopers for their work. "We got 14 dangerous weapons off the streets of Nassau County," he said.

The arrest comes three days after Nassau County police found a huge cache of bombs and explosive materials inside a Woodmere home. Marc Ringel, 53, is facing criminal charges.