GPS directs Copiague man straight to jail

Technology and a well-timed Christmas present helped to nail a Copiague man who had stolen a GPS from a home on Grand Central Avenue in Amityville Dec. 29. Police gave this account:

At approximately 1 a.m., Amityville Police Officer Brian Smith was on patrol and came upon a subject later identified as Alex Batista, 33 of 3034 Great Neck Rd., Copiague riding a bicycle along Merrick Road. Smith said Batista glanced over at him in the police car and continued on down one of the side streets.

Smith said his attention was drawn to the rider because he was operating the bike without a light and appeared to be attempting to avoid him. As a result Smith parked the police vehicle in the high school parking lot and waited for Batista to reappear on Merrick Road.

Minutes later he did, carrying something under his arms with wires hanging beneath the item. Smith stopped Batista and noticed that the item beneath his arms was a GPS unit. Smith asked Batista were he got it and he gave Smith some evasive answers.

At that point Smith saw the GPS unit was turned on and pushed the "home" button. The address came up as 22 Grand Central Ave., just a block away.

"I had just gotten a GPS for Christmas and knew that it would contain the name and address of the owner," said Smith. "He (Batista) was kind of surprised when I did that."

Amityville Police Officers responded to 22 Grand Central Ave., and spoke to the owner, Sergei Tejada, who said that the GPS unit was his and had been taken from his van.

Smith said Batista was cooperative and admitted that he was addicted to heroin. He said he had taken other items from cars in the area, selling them on the street for drug money, but would not give police any further details.

Batista was arrested and charged with larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. He was also issued a ticket for operating a bicycle at night without a light. He was arraigned in front of Village Justice Debra Urbano and bail was set at $1,500. He is to appear back in court at a later date.

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