2 arrested in Hampton Bays assault, robbery, say cops

Two men were arrested and charged with attacking a man with a baseball bat, then robbing him of $600 in cash on Tuesday evening on Penny Lane in Hampton Bays, police said.

The attack occurred at 7:47 p.m. inside a home on Penny Lane near Wakeman Road, Southampton Town police said. An investigation led to the arrests of Jairo Arteaga, 22, of Riverhead, and Jimi A. Valdez-Banegas, 21, of Hampton Bays.

Police said the victim, identified only as a 29-year-old man, was struck with the bat by one of the assailants while the other held a knife to his throat; then he was robbed by the pair.

The victim was later taken by Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance Corps to a hospital for what police called injuries that were not life-threatening. He was treated and released, police said.

Both Arteaga and Valdez-Banegas were arraigned Wednesday on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Arteaga was held on a $755,000 cash bail, while Valdez-Banegas was held on a $555,000 cash bail.

Arteaga's attorney, Kevin Gilvary of Westhampton Beach, said his client pleaded not guilty at arraignment and that he will be getting details of the charges.

Valdez-Banegas was represented by Legal Aid, which does not comment on cases.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”