Police: Traffic stop leads to arrests in thefts from vehicles in Calverton, Riverhead

A traffic stop led to the arrests of two men and a woman on charges including criminal possession of stolen property early Tuesday morning, Riverhead Town police said.

The driver of the 2000 Hyundai Elantra, Katarina Bennett, 23, of Shirley, was charged with fourth-degree and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, as well as vehicle and traffic violations.

Her two passengers -- Jason Scott, 26, of Riverhead, and Marquis Nolan, 24, of Calverton -- were each charged with third-degree and fourth-degree grand larceny, as well as with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

All three were arraigned Tuesday and remanded to the Suffolk County jail, police said.

Police said the vehicle was stopped on Ostrander Avenue in Riverhead at about 1 a.m. by officers from town patrol units. During the stop, police said, officers "determined that these subjects were in possession of numerous electronic items that were reported stolen from vehicles" overnight during the past week in Riverhead and Calverton.

It was not immediately clear when the three were scheduled to next appear in court.

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.”