Police: 2 masked men arrested in Farmingdale

Two masked men dressed in black, one armed with a shotgun, were arrested early Thursday morning on a Farmingdale street after police used pepper spray when they refused to surrender, police said.

Anthony P. Justiniano, 25, who was armed with the shotgun, and his cousin, Steven T. Halliday, 28, both of 150 Merritts Rd., were arrested on multiple charges, Nassau police said.

Second Precinct officers responded to a 911 call of "suspicious males" about 2:20 a.m. on Merritts Road, police said, and there found the two men masked men dressed in black.

When officers arrived, they found Halliday, carrying an American flag, and Justiniano with a shotgun on a sling around his neck, police said.

Repeatedly the officers ordered the two men to get down on the ground, police said, but instead, they yelled at the officers and made furtive movements toward them.

Then Justiniano was pepper sprayed, police said. Officers gained control of the Remington 870 Express Shotgun and shells that he was carrying, police said, and the two men were taken into custody.

Justiniano was treated at a hospital for eye irritation from the pepper spray, police said, but there were no other injuries.

Justiniano was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing a police officer, disorderly conduct and loitering.

Halliday was charged with obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and loitering.

Nassau police released no information about the two men's possible motives or plans.

Both men were arraigned Thursday in First District Court, Hempstead, and each man was ordered held on $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash bail.