Police: Slashing in pot deal gone wrong

A West Hempstead teen slashed the face of another teen who stole marijuana from him during a drug deal in Mineola, police said.

Nassau County police said Matthew Sinatro, 17, of Wilson Street, West Hempstead, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday and charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree possession of a dangerous weapon.

Police said a black folding knife was recovered at his home during the arrest.

Sinatro went to Marcellus Street and Jackson Avenue in Mineola to sell marijuana to a 17-year-old, police said.

But the 17-year-old fled without paying for the drugs, police said. They said Sinatro tracked him to a location near the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Beebe Road and slashed his face with a knife. Police took the victim to a hospital for treatment, where he was in stable condition.

Sinatro is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead.