Montauk woman charged in lottery tix theft

A Montauk woman has been arrested on robbery and petty larceny charges, allegedly for being the driver in a December bank robbery and then helping an accomplice steal lottery tickets, Southampton Town Police said Thursday.

Paola Zuleta, 25, was the driver on Dec. 31 when Stella Vassallo, 28, of Manorville, allegedly robbed the Suffolk County National Bank in Water Mill, police said.

Detectives said Zuleta participated with Vassallo in the theft of scratch-off lottery tickets from a Gulf Station in Southampton, also on Dec. 31.

Police had learned that Zuleta was residing in the Montauk area and arrested her on Wednesday, according to a news release.

She was arraigned Thursday on robbery and petty larceny charges and released on $1,000, bail, police said.

Vassallo was arrested in January on a felony bank robbery charge and two counts of petty larceny. The status of her case could not immediately be determined.