Crime and courts briefs

SMITHTOWN

An escape from precinct

A man in custody escaped from the Fourth Precinct in Smithtown yesterday morning after his arrest on a drug charge and remained on the loose late last night, Suffolk police said.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said the man was being processed in the precinct at about 10:20 a.m. when he was able to break free from custody. He fled the precinct at 727 Veterans Memorial Hwy.

Police would not identify the escapee last night or release details on how he got loose from custody.

LEVITTOWN

Arrest in drug sting

A Bellerose man was arrested early Sunday after undercover officers repeatedly bought heroin from him, Nassau County police said.

Police said Wasif S. Hamid, 23, sold the drug to officers three different times.

He was arrested in Levittown at 12:35 a.m. yesterday. Police said he had 688 wax paper envelopes containing heroin on him plus some bulk heroin, more than half an ounce of cocaine, assorted pills and two vials of ketamine, an anesthetic.

Hamid was charged with seven counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.

He was scheduled to be arraigned //Sunday at First District Court in Hempstead.

LINDENHURST

Cops: He stole donations

A Babylon man was arrested yesterday on charges he stole a donation jar containing $200 for a hospital charity, police said.

Suffolk police said Thomas Campion, 49, of 39 Tappan Ave., took the jar from Flag Beverage, 75 W. Hoffman Ave., Lindenhurst, on Saturday. The jar's proceeds were to benefit NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Heart Center.