The following information was supplied by various police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate guilt.

North Fork

Lashawn Lawrence, 28, of Greenport, was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument on Jan. 21 at 11:41 a.m. at a residence on Ludlum Place in the village. He was arrested on a felony warrant for his involvement in a investigation into the cashing of fraudulent money orders in local banks in town, police said. That investigation was initiated on Dec. 5 of last year.
Lawrence was arrested last March on two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia, and he was arrested again last June and charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, police said. He was held after the June arrest without bail due to multiple prior felony convictions, police said.

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Georgene Monsell, 53, of Mattituck, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated on Jan. 18 at 4:55 p.m. after her involvement in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 48 and Cox Neck Road in Mattituck, police said. After investigation, police found her to be intoxicated and she was arrested and transported to police headquarters in Peconic where she was held overnight pending arraignment, police said. No injuries were reported in the accident.

Southampton

Luis B. Zeas, 32, of East Hampton, was arrested Jan. 23 on Division Street in Sag Harbor and charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a misdemeanor, and harassment in the second degree, a violation. Sag Harbor Village police said Zeas grabbed a victim's neck, choking her, and kicked her twice on her left leg.

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Bolivar H. Martinez-Vicuna, 41, of Water Mill, was arrested Jan. 18 at 2:51 p.m. and charged with assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor. He was released after posting $250 bail. Southampton Village police said the victim was transported to Southampton Hospital where he was treated and released.

East Hampton

East Hampton Town police say they caught a burglar in the act and apprehended him in the early morning hours on Jan. 18.

Police responded to a residential burglar alarm at 27 Atlantic St. in East Hampton at about 5:15 a.m. Detective Lt. Chris Anderson said Carlos A. Montaleza-Arpi, who gave his address as two doors down at 29 Atlantic Street, had tripped the alarm and tried to disable it. He said when police arrived, they found the homeowner's car in the driveway with a broken window and then discovered a broken window on the first-floor.

Montalez-Arpi, 30, was seen inside the house taking items of clothing, the detective said. Confronted by an officer in a brief struggle, "He came back out the way he went in," Anderson said.

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On Jan. 19, East Hampton Police charged Christian Beruzuta, 28, of East Hampton with DWI with a BAC of .08 after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Cedar Street near Coopers Lane.  Police also charged Beruzuta with aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree. The car he was driving, a black Pontiac Grand AM, was impounded. Beruzuta was released on $5,000 bail.

Westhampton-Hampton Bays

On Sunday, Southampton Police charged Fernando Patino-Munzo, 44, of Hampton Bays, with DWI.  Police say they stopped Patino after they spotted him swerving and speeding on Flanders Road in Hampton Bays. Police said Patino-Munzo was slurring his speech and had blood-shot eyes, and reportedly performed poorly on a field sobriety test. Aside from being charged with DWI, Patino-Munzo was charged with unreasonable speed and unlicensed operator, driving on shoulder, moving from a lane unsafely and speeding.