By I Love Babylon · Week of August 9 – August 15, 2026

Two years after a car tore through a Deer Park nail salon and killed four people, the driver was sentenced to 25 years to life. An Amityville teenager has been missing since July 10 and police are still asking for help. Tanner Park’s beach closed mid-week over bacteria levels. And the Gilgo killer has a new address. Here’s everything worth knowing from across the Town of Babylon — the big stories up top, quick hits below.

Jump to a story:
25 Years to Life in the Nail Salon Crash •
A Missing Amityville Teenager •
Tanner Park Beach Closed •
A Lindenhurst Guilty Plea •
Heuermann’s New Address •
A Changing of the Guard at NAPCO •
Free Native-Gardening Workshops •
The Pow Wow Beat the Heat •
Backpacks in West Babylon •
Quick Hits •
Nearby •
Coming Up •
Remembering Our Neighbors •
What to Watch Next

TOP STORY · DEER PARK · AUGUST 12

Driver in the Deer Park Nail Salon Crash Sentenced to 25 Years to Life

Steven Schwally, 66, was sentenced on August 12 to 25 years to life for the June 28, 2024 crash that killed four people at the Hawaii Nail Salon and Spa on Grand Boulevard in Deer Park.

Prosecutors said Schwally was driving 78 miles an hour with a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 — more than twice the legal limit — when his car went through the storefront on a Friday afternoon. Killed were salon owner Jiancai Chen, employees Yan Xu and Meizi Zhang, and off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack. Nine other people were injured. He was convicted in June of second-degree murder and other counts, and had rejected two plea offers that would have capped his sentence at 22 years to life.

“You’ve displayed nothing short of a complete and utter disregard for human life,” Judge Richard Ambro told him. Suffolk County District Attorney Allen Bode put the cost plainly: “Twenty dollars and those four people would still be alive.” Carl Rennhack, who lost his wife, told the court: “You turned the lives of my family and community upside down.” Schwally said he was “terribly sorry.” The judge recommended he never be released on parole.

Sources: CBS News → · FOX 5 → · Newsday →

PLEASE SHARE · AMITYVILLE · MISSING SINCE JULY 10

Jake Malloy, 17, Has Been Missing From Amityville for Five Weeks

Jake Malloy, a 17-year-old from Amityville, was last seen on July 10 and remains missing. The Suffolk County Police Department is handling the case, which is also listed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

If you have seen him or know anything, call Suffolk County police at 631-854-8100, the NCMEC hotline at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST), or 911. Five weeks is a long time; a share costs nothing.

Source: NewsBreak →

PUBLIC HEALTH · COPIAGUE · AUGUST 10

Tanner Park Beach Closed to Swimming Over Bacteria Levels

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services closed the bathing beach at Tanner Park in Copiague on August 10 after testing found bacteria above acceptable levels. It was the only beach in the county closed that day.

The county warns that swimming in affected water can cause gastrointestinal illness along with eye, ear, nose and throat infections. The beach reopens once retesting shows levels have come back down. Before you pack the car, check the Bathing Beach Hotline at 631-852-5822.

Source: Patch →

COURTS · LINDENHURST · AUGUST 12

Lindenhurst Man Pleads Guilty in a 106-MPH Fatal Crash

Bryan Mizhirumbay, 24, of Lindenhurst pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and manslaughter for a crash that killed 55-year-old Craig White in Freeport last September.

The Nassau County District Attorney’s office said Mizhirumbay was driving 106 miles an hour in a 35 mph zone on Atlantic Avenue on the night of September 3, 2025, and struck White’s car at roughly 90 mph. His blood-alcohol content was .18 about an hour later. White worked for AHRC Nassau supporting people with special needs.

“Craig White was heading home when his life was violently stolen,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. Sentencing is set for November 2.

Source: Nassau County District Attorney →

GILGO · THE AFTERMATH · AUGUST 11

The State Confirms Where Rex Heuermann Will Serve His Sentence

New York’s Department of Corrections has confirmed that Rex Heuermann has been moved to Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora — the state’s maximum-security prison near the Canadian border — after an initial placement at Green Haven in Dutchess County. He is serving consecutive life sentences for eight murders committed between 1993 and 2010.

Source: News 12 →

BUSINESS · AMITYVILLE

After 55 Years, NAPCO’s Founder Hands Over the CEO Job

NAPCO Security Technologies, the security manufacturer headquartered in Amityville and one of the Town’s most recognizable employers, has completed a leadership change. Kevin Buchel, a 25-year company veteran who had been president and chief operating officer, became chief executive officer and president in July. Founder Richard “Dick” Soloway — who started the company more than 55 years ago — moves to founder and executive chairman and stays on as chairman of the board, focusing on long-term strategy and new product development.

Source: Security Systems News →

COMMUNITY · NORTH BABYLON · AUG 17 & AUG 31

The Town Is Running Two Free Native-Gardening Workshops

The Town of Babylon’s Green Homes Program has partnered with Spadefoot Ecosystem Solutions on two free workshops for homeowners — Sunday, August 17 and Sunday, August 31, both at 6 p.m. at the Phelps Lane Pool Building. Topics include removing invasive species, choosing the right plants, building pollinator gardens and designing yards that handle stormwater. A native plant sale runs alongside it, with stock grown at a Brentwood nursery.

“Green Homes is about the whole property, not just what’s inside it,” said Jassi Anand, the Town’s sustainability director. Frank Piccininni of Spadefoot put the case for it this way: “Long Island’s yards have so much untapped potential to support wildlife and manage stormwater, but most homeowners just don’t know where to start.” The program launched in 2008 and has worked with more than 2,000 homeowners. Registration is on the Town’s website.

Source: Patch →

CULTURE · COPIAGUE · AUGUST 8–9

The Paumanauke Pow Wow Drew Its Crowd Despite the Heat

The 44th Annual Paumanauke Pow Wow went ahead at Tanner Park last weekend with traditional dancing, drumming and craft vendors, and the crowds turned out in spite of a punishing weekend of heat. Proceeds benefit the Native American Scholarship Fund.

Source: Newsday →

COMMUNITY · WEST BABYLON · AUGUST 8

Babylon Cares Filled Backpacks at West Babylon High School

Town of Babylon Cares held its Backpack & Supply Drive at West Babylon High School on August 8, joined by Suffolk County Legislator Richard Renna, Assembly Member Michael Durso and Lindy Cares. Snapple, Outback, the Farmingdale Staples, Kids Need More, Hope for Youth, East Neck Nursing Home and Teachers Federal Credit Union pitched in. As the organizers put it: “This is what community looks like when it cares.”

Source: Long Island Press →

Quick Hits

  • Two women are wanted after a $1,625 theft from Polo Ralph Lauren at Tanger Outlets in Deer Park on July 30. Anonymous tips to Suffolk County Crime Stoppers, 1-800-220-TIPS. Patch →
  • A new cannabis store is opening in East Farmingdale next month. Newsday →
  • A Wyandanch tech park developer is seeking a $2 million state grant for upgrades tied to a project that has drawn opposition. Newsday →
  • The $4.1 million for Wyandanch parks we covered last week got a closer look at the numbers behind the two projects. LI Business News →
  • S&P affirmed Amityville’s general obligation debt rating at BBB-. S&P Global →
  • The Town approved a $34,198.98 change order at the Beacon Wellness Center to improve police radio coverage. NewsBreak →
  • E. Donald Conroy Golf Course hosted a free iron swing clinic. Golf Post →

Nearby

A 58-year-old Bohemia man died after his boat capsized at the Captree State Park piers on the evening of Friday, August 7. Police said the 16-foot Boston Whaler struck the docks repeatedly while launching and overturned; he was recovered from beneath the vessel and pronounced dead at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip. The piers sit in the Town of Islip, but the response was a regional one — West Islip had command with mutual aid from Babylon and Lindenhurst fire departments, Bay Shore, East Islip, the Suffolk County Marine Bureau, State Park Police and the Coast Guard. Greater Long Island →

Coming Up in and Around Babylon

  • Free native gardening & sustainable landscaping workshops — Sunday Aug. 17 and Sunday Aug. 31, 6 p.m., Phelps Lane Pool Building. Free; register through the Town website. Details →
  • Dockside Family Festival at Captree State Park — Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. (rain date Sept. 13). Pirate shows, pony rides, boat rides, magic and food. Activities are free; $8 vehicle use fee. Details →

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.

What Residents Should Watch Next

The search for Jake Malloy is the one to keep in front of people — five weeks on, a shared photo still matters more than anything else here. Watch for Tanner Park’s beach to reopen once the county’s retesting comes back; the hotline is the fastest answer. The Mizhirumbay sentencing on November 2 will close out the second fatal drunk-driving case in this briefing in as many weeks, which is its own kind of pattern worth noticing. And the Wyandanch tech park grant request is the development story to follow this fall, coming right behind the $4.1 million already headed to Wyandanch’s parks.

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Got a story we missed? Reply to the newsletter or email ryan@babylonlocal.com — we’re always looking for news from every corner of the Town.

For more local updates, events, and community stories, visit ILoveBabylon.com.