Crime and courts briefs

ROOSEVELTGrand larceny charge in

home mortgage loan scam

A Queens woman was arrested Wednesday and charged with stealing more than $10,000 from a woman in Roosevelt who, police investigators said, believed she was paying installments on a home mortgage modification loan.

Rosaura Hernandez, who Nassau County police said also is known as Rosa Diaz, was arrested when she surrendered to Crimes Against Property Squad detectives Wednesday at police headquarters in Mineola.

Hernandez, 45, of 115-10 133rd St., South Ozone Park, was charged with third-degree grand larceny.

Police said the victim, identified only as a 53-year-old woman, had contacted Hernandez in 2013 about a loan modification and then gave Hernandez a total of $10,045 in blank money orders. Those payments were made between November and April, police said.

Police said Hernandez gave the victim receipts naming an undisclosed financial institution but said that, in fact, Hernandez named herself as the payable recipient of the checks -- and kept the funds.

Hernandez was arraigned Wednesday and released on her own recognizance. Her attorney could not be reached Wednesday.

NORTH

LINDENHURSTCops: Upgraded charges for woman who hit motorcyclist

A Deer Park woman who hit a motorcyclist while driving her car under the influence of drugs is facing upgraded charges, Suffolk prosecutors said Wednesday.

Jacklynn Barkey, 27, was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs after a July crash in North Lindenhurst left Joe Pesce, 60, of Mastic with a serious leg injury.

Barkey now faces additional charges of first-degree vehicular assault, second-degree assault, aggravated unlicensed driving and circumvention of an interlock device. The indictment was unsealed in Suffolk County Court Wednesday, Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota's office said in a news release. Barkey pleaded not guilty to all charges, the release said.

At the time, police said Barkey, driving a 1996 Buick south on Wellwood Avenue, crashed into the 2006 Yamaha being driven westbound on Route 109 by Pesce. Pesce was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow.

Police said Barkey, of 91 Pine Acres Blvd., was arrested after the crash at the intersection of Route 109 and Wellwood Avenue at 3:05 a.m. on July 3. Court records show she was held without bail after her arraignment.