LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – An alarming rise in a potentially fatal bacterial infection known as whooping cough has prompted a warning from the Suffolk County Health Department.

It’s a tell-tale sign winter is coming — children and their colds.

But what’s going around this year is a potentially fatal bacterial cough known as pertussis or whooping cough, reports CBS 2’s Emily Smith.

It’s a chronic cough, almost a barking sound, that can last more than three months, and it is spread easily through droplets.

“My wife is on a bus, educational bus, so she is with kids all the time every day. But she hasn’t been sick yet,” local resident Steven Piering said Tuesday.

WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs On The Story

The whooping cough outbreak started with 13 cases in Smithtown on Long Island in June. Since then it has spread to more than a dozen districts in Suffolk County.

The most recent case of whooping cough involves a student at 5th Avenue Elementary in Northport, where 11 cases have already been reported. On Tuesday night, parents told CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez they are growing concerned.

“That’s kind of scary. I wonder what’s going on, why this outbreak started. What’s going on?” one resident asked.

“They get colds at home. They bring it on the bus. They bring it to school. They’re bringing it home,” a school bus driver told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.

And what’s particularly concerning to health officials is this most recent outbreak has the highest number of cases reported since 2006 when there were 110 for the year. Now it’s 216 cases of whooping cough for the year so far.

What’s causing this sudden and sharp rise in whooping cough has yet to be determined, said Dr. Dennis Russo with the Suffolk County Health Department. He said it might be as simple as more doctors are detecting and diagnosing it, or it could be an increase in some parents’ decision to forgo vaccinating their kids.

“We like to have everyone vaccinated and create a cocoon effect, so that everyone around them is vaccinated and the disease is milder,” Dr. Russo said.

“I’m not too concerned because my son has the vaccine,” added Maria Sangiorgi of Lindenhurst.

Health officials said early detection and antibiotic treatment are the keys to better health and preventing the spread of whooping cough.

The majority of the students who have been infected with whooping cough had been immunized, which health officials said may account for their milder illness.

Babies who are not yet fully immunized are the most at risk of death from the infection.

Have you or someone you know ever had whooping cough? What was it like? Please share your story in the comments section below.

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Police on Long Island arrested a Lindenhurst woman Tuesday, accusing her of driving while intoxicated with her two young children in the car.

Suffolk County authorities charged Jennifer Pyszczymuka, 36, with two counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child — a felony under Leandra’s Law — along with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of driving while ability impaired.

Police said Pyszczymuka was driving northbound on South Bay Street when she made a left turn onto Shore Road. She subsequently crossed a double-yellow line on Shore Road into southbound traffic and struck pylons on Shore Road that line a canal around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, authorities said.

In her car were her 5-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter, who authorities said were in car seats in the backseat.

Pyszczymuka was placed under arrest after a police officer determined she was intoxicated.

The woman and her children — who were released to a relative — were unharmed. She is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday.

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BAY SHORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A pair of heartless thieves on Long Island are facing charges for allegedly stealing clothing donation bins — and then selling the clothing for big bucks.

CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan saw what police called a bogus clothing bin on Thursday. It was stolen, reconfigured, stripped, repainted and adorned with fake logo representing a fake charity, “International Helping Hand.” It’s part of a growing scam ravaging non-profits that depend on donations to keep their crucial work thriving.

“I needed a lot of support and this place — Breast Cancer Help — is the only kind of place that provides the services,” breast cancer survivor Susan Piccininni said.

Piccininni and other survivors got word Thursday that more than a dozen of their Breast Cancer Help Inc., bins were allegedly stolen by Cesar Martinez-Duran and Sergio Sandoval-Martinez, both of Amityville. They were picked up in an alleged stolen clothing bin ring that reaps huge cash profits. Police said they were busted when GPS tracking devices followed the stolen bins to a secluded location in Lindenhurst.

“We observed the subjects behind a fence, trying to deface the bins and it was a crime in progress and we stopped them from doing that and those were the bins that were stolen,” Suffolk County Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Walker said.

Detectives said suspect Duran planted at least 40 more phony donation bins in and around Long Island. There are now fears gangs and organized crime are involved.

“These bins cost about $1,100 to replace. This is an organized effort,” said John Zaher of Breast Cancer Help, Inc.

Non-profits get only 25 cents a pound and then cart, sort, and clean each donation. The thieves cherry pick the best, and can make thousands off the contents of one bin.

“They are stealing from people who are in dire need, emotionally and physically,” said Alex Fezza of the Long Island Cancer Help & Wellness Center.

Legitimate businesses say they can’t compete with the crooks. GPS tracks stolen bins but by the time authorities get there fencers have paid cash and escaped with the stolen clothes.

The victimized non-profits are calling for a state-wide law enforcement task force to crack down on the theft of donation bins.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …

LINDENHURST, NY (WCBS 880) - Police say two suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing packages from in front of homes in Lindenhurst.

WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall On The Story

Police told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall that the two would drive around and when they saw packages delivered by UPS or the United States Postal Service, they would run up to the doorsteps and steal the holiday gifts.

“They said they stayed close to the home because they would return any medical supplies. They did not want to take medical supplies, but everything else was fair game,” said Sgt. Wayne Hutzel.

Hutzel said at least 20 packages were stolen, but there could be more victims. He also said the two suspects tried to sell the stolen jewelry, electronics, DVDs and clothing.

Suffolk County Police arrested Colby Fiedler and Vincenzo Francese, both 19-years-old, on Tuesday at Fiedler’s home.

They are both charged with three counts of criminal possession of stolen property. Francese was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Both were issued appearance tickets and are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on February 27.

Hutzel says one way to protect your packages is by asking your neighbors to bring them in for you if they’re going to be delivered when you’re not home.

Do you have any tips? Share them in the comments section below!

LINDENHURST, NY (CBSNewYork) – Some residents and business owners in Lindenhurst are demanding to know why a part of their historic village has become a “dumping ground” for the Long Island Rail Road.

The LIRR viaduct cuts straight through the heart of the Village of Lindenhurst and now, tons of heavy construction material is littering the property below the viaduct.

“I pay a lot of taxes for sanitation in this Village,” said one resident.

“And then you turn that corner and you see that storage area. It looks terrible,” said another.

Residents say hundreds of steel girders, beams and concrete blocks started showing up one day and say the LIRR has turned the main drag through town into a full-fledged storage facility.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” said one man. I think they should have consulted with the Village and the people in the area.”

“It does look like a dumping ground,” said another. “It’s definitely an eyesore.”

Village Clerk Shawn Cullinane says after months of complaining to the LIRR, they finally removed a double wide trailer and a crane, but hasn’t done anything with the rest of the property.

“We’ve asked the railroad to tell us about it and have gotten absolutely nowhere with them,” he said.

But Cullinane says it’s not just about the construction materials. He says huge gaps in the fence surrounding the property are also posing a danger.

WATCH: CBS 2′s Jennifer McLogan reports:

“If a kid is in here, playing, he could fall off, get hurt by any of the sharp edges,” he said. “Totally unacceptable.”

The LIRR says the area is their private property and issued a statement:

“The LIRR is currently seeking to identify a suitable storage location for the materials, which are used for emergency track repair and will schedule a meeting with Village officials, as soon as possible.”

The railroad says it strives to be a good neighbor in the communities it serves and says it will seek approval from the Village of Lindenhurst before it moves the materials, which are used for track repairs on the Babylon branch.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Police on Long Island announced the arrest of a man in Suffolk County for driving under the influence of drugs and leading them on chase that ended with officers being treated for their injuries.

Suffolk County Police said 31-year-old Joseph Ciambriello was reported to be peeping in windows at the Harding Avenue School in Lindenhurst around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. He allegedly identified himself to school officials as a town security guard and fled in a black Corvette.

Ciambriello refused to pull over and authorities said he intentionally struck police cars as they pursued him. Their low-speed chase ended on Colonial Road and Straight Path in Lindenhurst after Ciambriello struck a police car and backed into another. When police got to him, he tried to flee by jumping out of his car.

“He began to run away and it took five or six officers some time to bring him under control,” Suffolk County police inspector Gerard Gigante said.

Ciambriello became violent and had to be tazed, authorities said.

Children at the school had been on lockdown after the 911 calls were made. Parents of the students scurried to the school and were relieved everyone was safe, but were disturbed by the day’s drama.

“I’m just so pleased that they were on the ball and they noticed someone suspicious,” one parent told CBS 2′s Jennifer McLogan.

Lindenhurst schools superintendent said a custodian spotted the suspect “lurking around the building, looking in windows [and] looking in the door.”

In all, police said Ciambriello struck five police cars and caused one civilian driver to veer off the road and strike a tree after that individual tried to avoid the suspect vehicle.

The civilian was not injured, but five police officers and one lieutenant were treated at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip for minor injuries.

Ciambriello, of Lindenhurst, was also taken to Good Samaritan. He was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal mischief.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are pending.  Earlier in the day, several drivers told police the Corvette also forced them off the road.

“He said he was a CIA agent…I mean, who says that? He pulled us over, cut me off right in front,” one motorist said.

Ciambriello is expected to be processed at the precinct Friday night and arraigned in court in Saturday morning.

Share your thoughts in the comments section below…

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — An elderly woman died in an escalator accident at the Long Island Rail Road station in Lindenhurst Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly before 2 p.m., an 88-year-old woman apparently fell on the escalator serving the station’s platform.  Now, investigators want to know how the woman died. Some commuters said the escalator is out of service quite often.

An off-duty LIRR assistant conductor attempted to assist the woman to no avail when the accident occurred.

1010 WINS’ Sonia Rincon Reports The Investigation In Ongoing

One firefighter told WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall that the woman’s clothing got caught.

WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall Reports The Escalator Will Be Taken Out Of Service

Sources told CBS 2 the woman was on her way to work and was riding the escalator up to the platform when her dress got caught in the escalator steps before she fell backward to her death.

“There’s no elevator. So there’s no access for elderly people like the person who passed away to get to the top of the platform.  The stairs for her must have been a burden and the escalator was her only option,” commuter Joe Anchor told CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez.

Commuter, Deborah Ramos said the escalator needs safety updates. Ramos nearly fell on the same escalator when she says it malfunctioned Tuesday morning.

(credit: Sonia Rincon, 1010 WINS)

“The right handrail just stopped halfway through and I myself lost my balance. So it wouldn’t be shocking that someone else that’s elderly or disabled lost their balance and injured themselves,” Ramos said.

The incident is currently under investigation by MTA police.  The escalator was immediately taken out of service for inspection, the LIRR said.

The transit agency offered it’s “heart-felt condolences” to the woman’s family.

Please leave a comment below…

LINDENHURST, NY (CBSNewYork) - A preliminary investigation and autopsy indicate the elderly woman who died at the Lindenhurst Long Island Rail Road station Tuesday fell on the escalator before her clothing became entangled and she was asphyxiated, the LIRR said in a statement.

Flowers and burning candles now mark the blocked escalator entrance at the station where the 88-year-old woman, identified as Irene Bernatzky, was killed.

WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs on the story

Those who knew Bernatzky said she was on her way into New York City to visit her daughter at the time of the accident, 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reported.

1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera speaks with neighbors

Bernatzky lived less than a mile from the LIRR station. Neighbor Dawn Shipsey says the 88-year-old’s son had just dropped his mother off at the station.

“He said that he came back for some reason and saw all the police action there and came back and stopped and found out it was his mom,” Shipsey said.

Another neighbor, Michael Hewitt, said Bernatzky was a strong woman who often took the train.

“She did a lot of walking, a lot of walking,” he said. “She went into the city to see her daughter and I really don’t know what happened after that.”

Shocked commuters say there is an ongoing problem with the escalator.

“For years and years, this thing has been a problem. Never been addressed right, always broken down, never running right,” one man told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs. “You need to hold on and the handrail isn’t moving, the escalator is. I mean, I don’t know what happened, but I assume that’s probably what happened.”

LIRR officials, however, said that the escalator is inspected monthly and maintained in “good operating condition.”  It was, however, apparently slated for replacement in an earlier capital program prior to the economic downturn.

The escalator remains out of service as the investigation continues.

Do you know of any other problem escalators on the LIRR? Please tell us about them in the comments section below!

LINDENHURST, NY (CBSNewYork) – The Long Island Rail Road’s escalator system is getting a safety review following the death of an elderly woman at the Lindenhurst station.

WCBS 880′s Mike Xirinachs reports

Irene Bernatzky, 88, was killed earlier this month after officials say she fell on the moving stairs and was strangled when her clothing got entangled in the escalator mechanics.

In the wake of her death, the railroad has announced a comprehensive review of safety measures, maintenance practices and reporting procedures involving escalators.

New sensors designed to shut down escalators when problems are detected will be among the safety enhancements to be installed by the LIRR.

The inspections have already begun and most safety enhancements should be in place over the next three months.

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A 31-year-old Babylon man has been charged with driving while intoxicated in connection with a two-car crash that left a recent high school graduate dead.

WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs On The Story

Michael Grasing was driving westbound on Montauk Highway when he rear-ended the victim’s car, causing it to overturn and strike a utility pole around 10:25 p.m. Sunday, Suffolk County police said.

Brittney Walsh (credit: Facebook)

“It kept flipping over, maybe like a dozen times,” Billy Petropoulis, the owner of a sports bar that one of the cars crashed into, said.

The driver of the rear-ended vehicle, identified as Brittney Walsh, 18, of Lindenhurst, was thrown from the car and killed, CBS 2′s Carolyn Gusoff reported.

Walsh, who had just graduated from Copiague High School on Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her father, Tom Walsh, said the driver has to pay the consequences.

“He made a big mistake,” he said. “Everybody has a couple of drinks here and there but you have to understand that you’re not supposed to drive.”

1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reports

“It’s gut-wrenching, it turns your stomach,” Lindenhurst resident Douglas Munker said. “It’s sad, it’s horrible.”

Grasing was treated for minor injuries at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip. He has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

It is unclear when he will be arraigned.

Both vehicles have been impounded for safety checks, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

In Southampton early Monday, a 41-year-old man, identified as Christopher Dean, was charged with drunken driving after police said he struck and killed a pedestrian. The victim’s identity has not been released.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – The Babylon man accused of driving while intoxicated and killing a Long Island honors student in a two-car crash over the weekend was arraigned on Wednesday.

Michael Grasing’s blood alcohol level was .30 — nearly four times the legal limit — about 90 minutes after he slammed into a car driven by 18-year-old Brittney Walsh on Montauk Highway around 10:25 p.m. Sunday, investigators said.

The impact caused the Lindenhurst teen’s car to flip multiple times before striking a utility police, police said.

1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reports

Walsh, who had just graduated from Copiague High School on Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eyewitnesses estimate Grasing was driving 85 to 100 mph before the crash, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

“I don’t know how anyone could be that drunk and drive that fast, it’s mind boggling,” the victim’s aunt, Carol Grubel, told CBS 2′s Carolyn Gusoff. “I don’t know where he was. How did they let him leave that drunk and get into a car?”

Grasing was also seen swerving through traffic, running two red lights and driving on the sidewalk just minutes before the crash, Spota said.

“One eyewitness overhead other motorists yelling to the defendant at a red light that he should stop driving or he’s going to kill someone,” Spota said.

Grasing is facing DWI charges, but they could be upgraded, Spota said.

Walsh’s immediate family was not in court as members were attending their daughter’s wake.

The district attorney and police are asking anyone who witnessed any of the events that evening – before, during or after the crash – to call the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-854-8152.

The investigation is ongoing.

Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …

BABYLON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Last week, Brittney Walsh and her classmates were celebrating their graduation from Copiague High School on Long Island.

WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall On The Story

Today, those same classmates went to the Claude Boyd Spencer Funeral Home in Babylon to say goodbye to Walsh, WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall reported.

Walsh, 18, was killed on Sunday, June 24 when a Michael Grasing, who police said was driving with a blood alcohol limit nearly four times the legal limit, slammed into her car while she was driving home from work.

Tahmena Kahn was one of her best friends and spoke to Hall.

“She was beyond a caring person,” Kahn said. “She was the world to me. She was my absolute best friend and she was always there for each other and I was always there for her. I couldn’t tell you how many times she could lift up anybody’s mood and day.”

Mourners arrive at the Claude Boyd Spencer Funeral Home – Babylon, NY – Jun 29, 2012 (credit: Sophia Hall / WCBS 880)

Pastor Lee Gangaware said he has understandably heard the question ‘Why? Why a girl so young with such a bright future ahead of her?’

“There is no explanation beyond our faith beyond this life,” he said. “God has a plan beyond our plan.”

After services at the funeral home, Walsh was buried at a cemetery in Lindenhurst.

The district attorney and police are asking anyone who witnessed any of the events that evening – before, during or after the crash – to call the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-854-8152.

Grasing was charged with DWI, but could face different charges.

Did you know Walsh? Please share your memories below.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A suspected serial cat burglar is no longer prowling the streets of Suffolk County.

Errol D. Barham Jr., 22, of Copiague, is accused of six burglaries and one attempted break-in in Lindenhurst, District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

Barham is also suspected of at least 10 other burglaries on the South Shore, authorities said.

WCBS 880′s Mike Xirinachs

Barham allegedly carried out the burglaries between midnight and 4 a.m. while the homeowners were asleep, police said.

Jewelry, cameras, laptops, an I-pad, credit cards, cash and other stolen goods were recovered by law enforcement from a local pawnshop and during a search of Barham’s home at 299 42nd Street, authorities said.

“This is a very prolific cat burglar,” Spota said. “A man who was terrorizing communities.”

Barham was arrested Sunday. He is charged with six counts of burglary in the second degree, one count of attempted burglary in the second degree and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana.

He is being held on $70,000 cash bail.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) – A Long Island man is now charged with second-degree murder in an alleged drunken driving crash that killed a recent high school graduate.

An 11-count indictment was unsealed Wednesday against Michael Grasing, 31, of Babylon. He pleaded not guilty.

Grasing had a blood-alcohol reading nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08 in the June 24 crash on Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, prosecutors said.

1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reports

Grasing was driving at speeds approaching 100 mph when he ran two red lights and swerved through traffic before striking Brittney Walsh‘s car, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

The impact of the crash caused Walsh’s car to flip multiple times before striking a utility police, police said.

Walsh died at the scene.

WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall On The Story

The 18-year-old had just graduated with an advanced Regents diploma from Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School.

“Brittney Walsh never had a chance,” Spota said after the court appearance, with the teenager’s family standing behind him. “Grasing clearly had a total disregard for the value of any human life.”

Prosecutors said a bystander at a fast-food restaurant had noticed that Grasing was intoxicated and told him not to drive.

“The actions of the defendant and the decisions of the defendant to continue to drive and not to pull over cries out for the crime of murder in the second degree,” Spota said.

Brittney Walsh’s parents Cheryl and Tom Walsh appear in court – Jul 18, 2012 (credit: Sophia Hall / WCBS 880)

The teenager’s father, Thomas Walsh, said the family understands that obtaining a murder conviction might be difficult because it happens rarely, but he appreciated the district attorney’s efforts. “Regardless of what happens in that courtroom, it will never bring my little girl back,” he said.

Grasing’s bail has been set at $1 million cash or $2 million bond. His attorney declined to comment.

It’s uncommon for a fatal crash to result in a murder charge. Martin Heidgen was convicted in Nassau County of murder after driving the wrong way on a Long Island parkway in 2005. That accident killed a limousine driver and a 7-year-old flower girl coming home from a family wedding. He is serving 19 years in prison but is appealing that conviction.

In addition to murder, Grasing was also charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, leaving the scene, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, aggravated DWI as a felony, DWI as a misdemeanor, failure to stop at a signal, failure to stay in lane and speeding.

If convicted of murder, he could face a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) – A Lindenhurst, Long Island man has been charged with multiple counts after he allegedly ‘sexted’ a teenage girl.

Rashid M. Aziz, 25, forcibly restrained and kissed a thirteen-year-old girl at the Sunrise Mall on August 9, according to detectives.

Aziz also used his cell phone to exchange sexually explicit photographs with the victim, authorities said.

Aziz was arrested on Saturday night and charged with Disseminating Indecent Material to A Minor, Possession of an Obscene Sexual Performance By a Child, Unlawful Imprisonment, Forcible Touching, and multiple counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

You may add your thoughts in our comments section below…

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The Long Island Rail Road is working to rehabilitate its aging escalators.

The railroad took on the project following the death of an 88-year-old woman who was killed in an escalator accident earlier this year at the Lindenhurst station.

Irene Bernatzky was killed on March 13 after officials said she fell on the moving stairs and was strangled when her clothing got entangled in the escalator mechanics.

1010 WINS’ John Montone reports

Bernatzky’s death forced the LIRR to review all of its escalators.

Now, 10 of the railroad’s 19 escalators have been taken out of service so the LIRR can make repairs and install new safety technology.

Joe Calderone, vice president of customer service, said the project is absolutely necessary.

“We know that having these units out of service is an inconvenience for our customers, we apologize for that, but safety is absolutely our number one priority,” Calderone said.

The escalators are being equipped with new safety sensors, steps, step chains, brake assemblies, top and bottom comb plates and controllers, according to the LIRR.

Escalators at the Lindenhurst, Babylon and Rockville Centre stations are expected to be back up and running by the end of this month.

The LIRR hopes to have escalators in Baldwin, Amittyville, Hicksville and Freeport back in service by the end of September.

The escalator at the Copiague station could return to service as late as October, according to the LIRR.

Five of those stations have working elevators.

The escalator serving the westbound platform at the Hicksville station was returned to service Saturday night.

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Suffolk County police held their first-ever Boating While Intoxicated sobriety checkpoint, leading to the arrests of two people.

The checkpoint, conducted by the Marine Bureau and Highway Patrol Bureau, was near Sandspit Marina in Patchogue.

Ann Marie O’Toole, 55, of Holbrook and Michael Bacher, 49, of Patchogue were charged with BWI during the stops.

The first-ever BWI checkpoint was meant to enforce the law and to promote boating safety, Suffolk County Police said.

A total of 23 boats went through the checkpoint.

In a separate incident, Lindenhurst man Frank Vogt, 56, was arrested for BWI and his boat was seized by officials because of a prior DWI conviction.

The three people arrested for BWI will be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Please share your thoughts below…

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A former director of a community theater group on Long Island has been arrested for child pornography.

Suffolk County Police arrested 42-year-old Vincent Sparagano of Lindenhurst Wednesday morning and charged him with one count of possessing a sexual performance by a child.

Sparagano is already on probation after being convicted of endangering the welfare of a child in Nassau County.

In that incident, Suffolk police said Sparagano sent multiple messages with suggestive and inappropriate comments to a 14-year-old who was part of the theater group.

Sparagano’s cell phone and computer were searched as part of his probation. The pornographic images were found on his computer, police said.

Sparagano is a former director of productions for the Lindenhurst-based Spotlight Players.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Sept. 6.

Detectives ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call the Computer Crimes Unit at 631-852-6279.

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – An escalator at the Long Island Rail Road station in Lindenhurst has reopened months after a deadly accident.

Irene Bernatzky, 88, was killed on March 13 after officials said she fell on the moving stairs and was strangled when her clothing got entangled in the escalator mechanics.

WCBS 880′s Mike Xirinachs reports

The escalator had been shut down for six months to undergo repairs.

The railroad replaced and refurbished major components and installed sensors that shut down the system when they detect something is caught in the machinery.

Bernatzky’s death forced the LIRR to review all of its 19 escalators. Some were taken out of service so the LIRR could make repairs and install new safety technology.

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – It looks like a movie set.

That’s how CBS 2′s Jennifer McLogan described the scene in Lindenhurst Thursday morning, where debris not only lines the post-Sandy streets, but periodically flies through the air as cleanup crews are being brought in to recover and rebuild after the storm.

The oceanfront community  took a hard hit, when Hurricane Sandy blew through, flooding some houses — and destroying others.

The neighboring town of Babylon sent in front loaders to dig through the rubble.

Lindenhurst resident Ray Felton held back tears as he told McLogan his story of loss and devastation on Venetian Blvd.

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“I come in and all of the sudden I see water coming up from the floor, and within an hour, I had two feet of water in my house,” he said. “I have no lights, I’m wet, everything’s soaked, I’m trying to get up into the attic. I got cats in the garage, I got a cat in my house.”

The houses on the waterfront of the street had little hope of surviving.

“A lot of these houses…the backs are blown of the houses from the waves hitting. The waves were coming in at least 3 or 4 feet,” he said. “I just…you know, what can you do? I’m not gonna leave my house. Everybody else left, except the couple next door. You have to stay.”

Felton also mentioned his  neighbor, who lost his wife to cancer in recent weeks, and is now facing the destruction.

A worker from the town of Lindenhurst told McLogan he’s never seen anything like this before.

“It’s phenomenal, I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “Everything is destroyed. It’s unbelievable. There’s no other way to describe it.”

He said the goal for now is try to make the roads passable.

Meanwhile, for those that still have their homes, living is still uncomfortable. Thousands of customers remain without power on Long Island.

The Long Island Power Authority was reporting about 743,000 outages Thursday morning. At one point, more than 930,000 customers were in the dark — which amounts to 90 percent of the utility’s customers.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS Mona Rivera Reports From Long Island

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey said. “We’ve got all of the hospitals on except two in the heavily flooded areas in the Rockaways and Long Beach. Hospitals are up and running, we’re making pretty good progress in getting the lines cleared and the power back on for the railroad.”