Nassau police arrest suspected gang member

First the Nassau police arrested an Amityville man on an assault charge early Thursday morning.

Then, once the suspect was brought to the Third Precinct station house, detectives learned that he was also wanted in a gang machete attack that took place in New Cassel.

Franklin Villatoro, 17, was arrested at his 851 County Line Rd. home in Amityville at 12:06 a.m. Thursday by Nassau Special Investigation Squad detectives.

In the first assault case, Villatoro was wanted for failing to appear in Nassau County Court for an assault that took place on October 12, 2006. During the 2006 incident Villatoro and a male juvenile assaulted another man, 18, on Union Avenue in Westbury, the police said.

In the second case, Villatoro was wanted for his involvement in an assault on April 14 at 9:40 p.m. on Railroad Avenue in New Cassel. In the April incident, Villatoro and four or five other suspects assaulted a seventeen-year-old male victim with a machete, cutting him on the head and right arm, the police said.

Villatoro was charged with gang assault, assault, criminal mischief and two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon. He was scheduled for arraignment in First District Court, Hempstead on Thursday.

By BY JOSEPH MALLIA
Posted Friday, April 25, 2008

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