LONG ISLAND BRIEFS

LONG BEACH/Man admits driving drunk, hitting teen, leaving scene

A Long Beach man has pleaded guilty to charges that he drove drunk, hit a 15-year-old girl crossing the street and dragged her for 600 feet, prosecutors said yesterday.

German Gutierrez, 50, pleaded guilty Thursday to the top charge against him -- first-degree depraved indifference assault, Nassau County prosecutors said.

He also pleaded guilty to aggravated drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident with physical injury, prosecutors said.

A Nassau judge agreed to sentence Gutierrez to eight years in prison on July 15. Gutierrez's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

On Sept. 3, Gutierrez was driving his 2002 Jeep Liberty east on East Beech Street in Long Beach without his headlights on about 9 p.m. when he drove through a stop sign at Edwards Boulevard and struck the teen. She was walking her bicycle across the street, prosecutors said.

Rather than stopping to help, Gutierrez kept driving, pinning the girl beneath her bike and dragging her under his vehicle, prosecutors said.

After the girl fell away from the vehicle, Gutierrez continued driving, striking a parked vehicle and driving on the sidewalk before coming to a stop in the street, according to prosecutors.

The girl suffered such serious road rash injuries to the left side of her body that her knee and elbow joints were exposed. Extensive skin grafts have resulted in permanent scarring, and she suffered an injury to the tendons in her left hand that may require surgery, prosecutors said.

-- ANN GIVENS

ALBERTSON/Cops: Teacher's aide had inappropriate relationship with student

A teacher's aide at an Albertson school for students with medical conditions including physical disabilities has been arrested, charged with endangering the welfare of a disabled person, after police said she engaged in "an inappropriate relationship" with an 18-year-old student.

Ivone Oliviera, 34, of 96 Barrister Rd., Levittown, was arrested at The Henry Viscardi School on I.U. Willets Road, Nassau police said.

The school became aware on Tuesday "of a serious allegation involving unacceptable conduct by a teaching assistant," according to a statement issued by Kim Brussell, school spokeswoman.

The school immediately reported the matter to police and state officials, the statement said.

According to the statement, the assistant "no longer works here."

Police said that, beginning in January, Oliviera "displayed inappropriate physical contact" with the male victim, including "hugging and kissing." An investigation found that Oliviera also had sent the teen text messages and photos "of a sexual manner" from her phone, police said.

Oliviera, arraigned yesterday in First District Court in Hempstead, pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. She is next due in court on June 12. Her attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

-- JOHN VALENTI