Cell phone stop leads to arrest

A driver stopped on suspicion of talking on his cell phone Tuesday in Southampton had a bench warrant for his arrest, police said Wednesday.

Southampton Town police said Panayiotis Georgiou, 44, of Shirley, was arrested following the traffic stop Tuesday at 5:49 p.m. on Montauk Highway near McGregor Drive. He was later turned over to the Suffolk County police Fugitive Squad. Police did not say why the warrant had been issued.

Police said an officer stopped Georgiou after he was spotted using the cell phone while driving a 2002 Ford van. The officer also found the registration was expired. Georgiou was charged with third-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating with a suspended registration, prohibited use of a cell phone, uninsured motor vehicle and fractured windshield in addition to the charges in the warrant.

Arraignment information was not immediately available.