A man wanted for murder in Texas was among three men arrested in a joint raid by the Brookhaven Town Law Department and Suffolk County Police. Law investigators and officers from the 7th Precinct crime section and COPE were preparing to execute a search warrant at Ramirez Deli, which is located at 53 Broadway, shortly after 8:30 p.m., when they saw a man with what appeared to be marijuana, according to investigators. The man later turned out to be 27-year-old Rodolfo Morales, a Port Jefferson Station resident wanted for the murder of a man in Texas, investigators said.
Brookhaven officials said that once investigators and police were inside the deli building, they found a dice table, gambling, drugs and alcohol, and a large amount of cash. The owner of the deli, Ramon Rodriguez, 46, of Port Jefferson Station, was charged with second-degree promoting gambling and possession of a gambling device. He was issued 14 appearance tickets for not having building permits for the interior alterations of the deli area, the alteration and occupancy of the second room attached to the deli and the illegal occupancy of the basement area, and eight fire code violations, investigators said. Also issued was a cease and desist order precluding Mr. Rodriguez from operating the deli until the code violations are corrected and the fire marshal completes an inspection of the premises. The owner of the property, James Blakeney of Apache Junction, Ariz., will also be issued with summonses, investigators said.
Det. Lt. Gail Marrero, commanding officer of the 7th Precinct's detective squad, said that when Mr. Morales was detained he identified himself by the wrong name, claiming to be a man named "Jose Miranda." He was then properly identified following a fingerprint scan, and found to have an active warrant for his arrest by Houston Police on a charge of murder, she said. Houston Police spokesman Keith Smith confirmed the police department does have an active warrant for a man named Rodolfo Morales, who is charged with murder, however, the homicide division has not confirmed that this is the same man arrested in Rocky Point. The murder charge, he said, is the result of a shooting death that followed an argument about money. If Mr. Morales proves to be the man sought by Houston Police, Mr. Smith explained, the Harris County Sheriff's Office will handle the extradition proceedings.
Mr. Morales was also charged with second-degree forgery and fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Saturday in 1st District Court in Central Islip. Mr. Morales is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead in lieu of $500,025 or $1 million bond. Although he will have representation provided by the Legal Aid Society, Mr. Morales has not been assigned a permanent attorney. The Legal Aid Society declined to comment on the case, as is their policy.
Rafael Torres, 43, was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration because authorities say he interfered with their investigation. Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Torres were released on their own recognizance and will be arraigned on a future date.
Neither man could be reached for comment by presstime.
Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner's office received numerous complaints from residents alleging illegal activity prior to the arrests. After news broke of the raid and the collar of a fugitive wanted for murder, Ms. Bonner said she was elated and credited both the investigators from the town and the police officers for a "job well done."
"This is the first step toward taking back Broadway," she said.
Likewise, Legis. Daniel Losquadro (R-Shoreham) shared similar sentiments.
"I think it's safe to say this place is out of business," he said.
peggy@northshoresun.com