By I Love Babylon · Week of August 2 – August 8, 2026
Suffolk’s district attorney took a 15-year-old Gilgo Beach cold case to a street fair in Manhattan’s Chinatown this week, hunting for a name. A Lindenhurst motorcyclist was killed on Montauk Highway and a driver charged with DWI. Albany sent $4.1 million to Wyandanch for parks. And two women from the Town of Babylon came home from Tokyo as world champions. Here’s everything worth knowing — the big stories up top, quick hits below.
Jump to a story:
A Cold Case Goes to Chinatown •
Motorcyclist Killed in Lindenhurst •
$4.1M for Wyandanch Parks •
Two Babylon World Champions •
The Pow Wow Returns •
The Oak Beach Dock Fight •
Car Meets and a Seized Vehicle •
Amityville’s Water Main Break •
A New Calling After a Crash •
Quick Hits •
Coming Up •
Remembering Our Neighbors •
What to Watch Next
TOP STORY · GILGO · AUGUST 4–6
Suffolk Takes a Gilgo Beach Cold Case to Chinatown, Looking for a Name
Fifteen years after her remains were found at Gilgo Beach, one victim still has no name. This week the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office went looking for it in Manhattan.
Investigators from DA Ray Tierney’s office set up a booth at the NYPD’s National Night Out event in Chinatown, handing out Chinese-language flyers carrying a facial reconstruction of the young woman and asking passersby for help. They collected 23 DNA samples during the outreach — each one a chance at a familial match.
Her remains were discovered April 4, 2011. Investigators estimate she died around 2006 and was between 17 and 23 years old. DNA testing has established her ethnicity but not her identity. Her death is not attributed to Rex Heuermann, who pleaded guilty to eight murders and was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year — a reminder that the Gilgo story did not close with that sentencing.
Two other Gilgo threads moved this week. Advocates from the Center for Community Alternatives, a Syracuse nonprofit, are urging the state Office of Court Administration to deny State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei — who sentenced Heuermann — a two-year extension past New York’s mandatory judicial retirement age of 70, arguing his sentencing record is too harsh. And Newsday spent the week revisiting unsolved homicides from the 1990s, asking whether any could be connected.
Anyone with information about the unidentified victim is asked to contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
Sources: South Shore Press → · NY Post → · CBS News → · PoliticsNY → · Newsday →
PUBLIC SAFETY · LINDENHURST · AUGUST 5
Motorcyclist Killed on Montauk Highway; Driver Charged With DWI
A motorcyclist was killed in Lindenhurst early Wednesday morning, and the driver of a vehicle involved has been charged with driving while intoxicated.
Suffolk County police said Carlos Henao, 33, was riding a Harley-Davidson westbound on Montauk Highway near Chestnut Street around 1:42 a.m. when he attempted to pass two vehicles and struck the rear of a Dodge Ram and a Honda CR-V. Henao was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.
Brieonna McGinn, 28, the driver of the Honda CR-V, was charged with DWI and was scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip. The charge is an accusation, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
GOVERNMENT · WYANDANCH · AUGUST 7
Albany Sends $4.1 Million to Wyandanch for Parks and Open Space
Governor Kathy Hochul announced $4.1 million in state capital funding for community improvements in Wyandanch this week — the kind of number that actually changes what a neighborhood looks like.
The larger share, $3 million, goes to the Great Lawn at Wyandanch Rising: more than an acre of town-owned open space that will include a dog park, a playground and a community garden. The project is being administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. Another $1.1 million will renovate Wyandanch Park and upgrade its playing fields; the park already offers football, junior baseball, basketball, handball and tennis facilities, a playground, picnic areas, restrooms and free Wi-Fi.
“Every New Yorker deserves access to vibrant public spaces where families can gather, children can play and communities can thrive,” Hochul said. State Sen. Monica Martinez, Assemblymember Kwani O’Pharrow, Suffolk County Legislature Minority Leader Jason Richberg and Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer all issued statements supporting the awards.
Source: Office of the Governor → · Patch →
SPORTS · WEST BABYLON & NORTH BABYLON · AUGUST 2
Two Town of Babylon Women Just Won a World Championship — and One Was MVP
Team USA beat Canada 16–4 in Tokyo on Sunday for its fifth straight World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, and the two players at the center of it both grew up here.
Sam Apuzzo of West Babylon led all scorers with three goals and two assists. Ally Kennedy of North Babylon added two goals and an assist, controlled draws all game, and was named Championship MVP — her second world championship MVP award.
Goalkeeper Shea Dolce made eight saves and was named Player of the Match. The win extended the U.S. team’s streak to 36 consecutive senior field victories. “They played the right way,” head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said, calling the group “the best of all time.”
Two hometowns, four miles apart, and the top two scorers in a world final. Not a bad Sunday for the Town of Babylon.
Sources: USA Lacrosse → · Newsday →
CULTURE · COPIAGUE · THIS WEEKEND
The Paumanauke Pow Wow Returns to Tanner Park for Its 44th Year
The 44th Annual Paumanauke Pow Wow takes over Tanner Park in Copiague this weekend — Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Grand Entry is at noon and 7 p.m. Saturday, and noon on Sunday.
Expect traditional, intertribal and Aztec dance performances, dance competitions, traditional drumming, Native American artisans and craftspeople, authentic foods and specialty vendors. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and over and teens 12–16, and free for children under 12. Bring cash — the gate is cash only and there are no advance sales.
The event is presented by Paumanauke Native American Festival Inc. with the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts and the Town of Babylon. Proceeds benefit the Native American Scholarship Fund. Tanner Park is at 400 Baylawn Ave., Copiague.
Source: Patch →
COMMUNITY · OAK BEACH · AUGUST 2
Oak Beach Is Divided Over a Proposed Community Dock
A proposed dock has split the small Oak Beach community. The Oak Island Beach Association, which represents 72 homeowners there, first applied to the town to build it on the west end of the neighborhood. Neighbors have lined up on both sides of the question.
Source: Newsday →
QUALITY OF LIFE · WEST BABYLON · AUGUST 2
Police Seize a Vehicle and Speakers at a West Babylon Car Meet-Up
Suffolk police impounded a vehicle and its speaker equipment at a car meet-up on Bell Street in West Babylon on Friday night, as the town escalates its response to late-night gatherings that residents say have made whole blocks unlivable.
Known meet-up spots also include Edison Avenue in West Babylon’s industrial area and Carolyn and Adams boulevards in Farmingdale. The town has created a special investigation unit to respond to complaints in real time, and a meeting between Suffolk police and civic leaders is scheduled.
“There’s no reason for them to be doing what they’re doing other than that they have a big ego and a small mind,” Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer said. Not every resident is still fighting it: “It used to bother me, but I’ve gotten used to it,” Farmingdale’s Jeffrey Sinrilus said. “So it’s been the norm.”
Sources: News 12 → · News 12 Long Island →
INFRASTRUCTURE · AMITYVILLE · AUGUST 4
A Water Main Break Closed Route 110 and Left Businesses Dry
A water main break on Route 110 just south of Sunrise Highway closed the southbound lanes for hours Tuesday and cut water service to nearby Amityville businesses. The Suffolk County Water Authority responded and finished repairs by late in the day; service was restored and the road reopened for the evening commute.
For the businesses caught in it, the day was a loss. “I ran into the traffic because I usually open the business at 8. And then I discovered that there is no water in the house,” said Thomas Smith, owner of Crossroads Power Equipment on Route 110. “I deal with landscapers and they have trucks and trailers and what not, and so unless they know this is going on then they can’t get to me.”
Source: News 12 →
CRIME · AMITYVILLE · AUGUST 3
A Fake Contractor Took $16,500 From an Amityville Woman, Police Say
Paul Sanderson, 40, of Bohemia, was arrested by Suffolk County police after investigators said he posed as the owner of a construction company, met a woman at her Amityville home, showed her forged insurance documents and accepted a $16,500 payment in March for a storefront renovation at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. Police said he never delivered materials or did any work.
He faces charges of third-degree grand larceny and first-degree identity theft. The charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Source: AOL / Daily Voice →
HUMAN INTEREST · AMITYVILLE & COPIAGUE ROOTS · AUGUST 7
After a Crash Changed His Life, a Copiague Grad Found a New Calling
Ty Morrison was a funeral director. Then he was hit in a crash on Route 135 near Plainview, and everything paused. What came next started with a phone call in a parked car.
“Two hours later, he gets a call about another dog, and I pulled over,” Morrison said. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do pets?’”
He and his older brother Derek — both of whom grew up in Amityville and graduated from Copiague High School — founded Gentle Tide Pet Aquamation, serving Long Island, Westchester and the five boroughs. Aquamation is a water-based alternative to flame cremation, using roughly 95% water and 5% alkaline minerals and producing no carbon emissions. Derek has served in the Air National Guard and Air Force since 2007.
Source: Patch →
HISTORY · WEST BABYLON · AUGUST 5
The Artist Who Fought Hitler With a Paintbrush Is Buried in West Babylon
Arthur Szyk (1894–1951) drew propaganda against the Nazis so effectively that the Library of Congress called him “Artist for Freedom.” Thirty-eight of his paintings hung in the White House during FDR’s presidency, and his work traveled to more than 500 USO recreation centers. He created an illuminated Haggadah — “I am but a Jew praying in art,” he wrote in its dedication — and a 32-foot Torah ark for the Forest Hills Jewish Center.
He is buried in the Forest Hills Jewish Center cemetery plot in West Babylon. A new book by Irvin Ungar, Reviving the Artist Who Fought Hitler: My Life with Arthur Szyk, revisits his life and work.
Source: Jewish Journal →
Quick Hits
- West Nile virus is spreading in Suffolk mosquitoes. Seven new positive samples brought the season total to 29, including one in Lindenhurst. There have been no human cases in Suffolk this year. Report dead birds at 631-852-5999; mosquito problems at 631-852-4270. Patch →
- Helicopter mosquito treatments were scheduled over the Babylon, Islip and Sayville marshes. Patch →
- The Town of Babylon voted to regulate indoor agriculture businesses, citing climate change. Newsday →
- A laurel wilt quarantine district now covers the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington and Islip after the deadly fungal tree disease was found on Long Island. Newsday → · ABC7 →
- A woman was shot inside a North Amityville home early Tuesday morning on Walnut Street, Suffolk police said. Patch →
- Crashes and close calls have residents worried about the intersection of State Route 109 and Herzel Boulevard in West Babylon. News 12 →
- Sunrise Highway faces four weeks of overnight lane closures. LI Herald →
- Amityville Village is looking for artists for a downtown mural project. Newsday →
- Former Connetquot superintendent Joseph Centamore is taking a new job in the North Babylon school district. Newsday →
- Deer Park’s Christian Myrick, 15, is already a varsity football standout and a national flag football champion. FOX 5 →
- East Farmingdale’s Rishi Talwar was named a Scholar All-American as Farmingdale State’s golf team earned the GCAA Team Academic Award. Farmingdale State →
- North Babylon’s Shaun Martin is listed as a freshman long snapper on the Stony Brook Seawolves football roster. CBS Sports →
- Babylon Dental Care welcomed Danielle Dean, RDH, to its practice. Press release →
- A Babylon woman was arrested for petit larceny in a Walmart theft in Geneva, N.Y. Finger Lakes Daily News →
- Geiger Park in Deer Park got a summer spotlight as a place to explore and cool off. News 12 →
- All lanes were closed on NY 24 in Farmingdale for repaving between Secatogue Avenue and Main Street. Patch →
Coming Up in and Around Babylon
- 44th Annual Paumanauke Pow Wow — Tanner Park, Copiague. Saturday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Cash only at the gate.
- Snapper & Crab Fishing Derby at Captree State Park in August. Details →
- “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” — a free Zoom class for North Babylon residents. Details →
- A scenic ride — Newsday mapped the bike path from Jones Beach to Captree along Ocean Parkway, if you want the water on both sides. Newsday →
Looking for something to do this weekend? Don’t miss our latest events roundup — your guide to festivals, live music, markets and family fun across the Town of Babylon.
See this weekend’s events →
Remembering Our Neighbors
We take a moment to remember neighbors whose obituaries were published or shared this week. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
- Scott Coppola, Deer Park — a Long Island father who died suddenly on Monday night, Aug. 3. The community has organized a fundraiser for his family. Daily Voice →
- Wayne M. Mortak, 84, West Babylon — beloved husband of 57 years to Dang, devoted father of Dianne. Legacy →
- David D. Stahl, 1928–2026, Deer Park — retired NYPD, and a veteran who served his country proudly. Legacy →
- Mary Pavao, Deer Park. Legacy →
- Patricia H. Culbert, 93, a long-time resident of Babylon. Legacy →
- Michael Fitzgibbon, born in Amityville in 1961. Legacy →
- William “Bill” Boyd, born in Amityville in 1966. Legacy →
- Dale Drum, 1956–2026, born in Amityville. Legacy →
What Residents Should Watch Next
The unidentified Gilgo victim is the thread to follow: 23 DNA samples were collected in Chinatown, and a familial match would give a name to a case that has gone 15 years without one. Watch too for the state Administrative Board’s decision on Justice Mazzei’s request to stay on the bench. Closer to home, the car meet-up enforcement now has a dedicated town investigation unit and a scheduled sit-down between police and civic leaders — whether seizures continue, and whether residents notice a difference, is the real test. And with West Nile positives climbing to 29 samples countywide, expect more spraying before the season ends.
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For more local updates, events, and community stories, visit ILoveBabylon.com.
