Police: Man hides in boat to avoid $97 cab fare

A man who police said attempted to avoid paying a nearly $100 cab fare for a trip from Patchogue to Southold on Monday was arrested after responding officers found him hiding in a boat at his nearby home.

Vincent Occhiogrosso, 20, of Southold, was arrested at 3:44 p.m. and charged with theft of services, Southold Town police said. He is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in Town of Southold Justice Court.

Police said that Occhiogrosso took a taxi from Patchogue to Southold and that "upon termination of the fare, ran from the driver and hid" -- in an attempt to avoid paying a $97 fee for the cab service.

Occhiogrosso fled the cab near the intersection of Waterview Drive and Cedar Drive, police said, but was soon found "hiding in a cabin of a boat at his residence."

Court records indicate Occhiogrosso was previously charged with residential burglaries that took place in Southold in April and May.

Those cases remain pending, records show.