RSS 2.0 FeedOctober 7, 2010, Bellmore Life
Cops: Fugitive nabbed in Bellmore – gnarls traffic
Woman captured by U.S. Marshals after entering the Bellmore Post Office.
A fugitive sought by U.S. marshals was nabbed at the Bellmore Post Office lobby on Friday and found to have a substance thought to be cyanide in her possession, closing down Merrick Road for several hours. A woman identifying herself as Wendy Cavanaugh was arrested in the lobby of the Bellmore Post Office for outstanding warrants in Arkansas for identity theft and larceny, when she went to pick up two packages later identified as containing clothes and costume jewelry, said Nassau County Police Lt. Detective Kevin Smith.
While looking through her car, a Nissan stolen in Texas, marshals discovered a medicine-sized bottle with the name sodium cyanide on it and a crystalline substance within the bottle. Marshals then called Nassau County police for assistance from their Emergency Services Unit hazardous materials (hazmat) units to determine the precise substance, and to set up a decontamination unit in the event the substance was cyanide. “When you deal with someone who has handled cyanide, just touching them is considered exposure, and you have to be decontaminated,” the detective said. “There were several marshals that handled the woman during her arrest.” A blue tent was set up beside the post office to begin decontamination of the exposed marshals.
Meanwhile, Ms. Cavanaugh, one of several aliases the suspect in her 40s reportedly uses, was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for possible contamination. Hospital spokesperson Shelley Lotenberg said that a woman had been brought in from the Bellmore incident, and had been sent to the pediatric unit for evaluation. She declined further comment. Detective Smith could not confirm if she had ingested any of the substance. Traffic on Merrick Road in both directions was rerouted for at least four hours around the Centre Avenue-Merrick Road intersection.
Later, Detective Smith spoke with reporters to confirm that the crystalline substance tested on-site was found not to be dangerous to the public. He would not comment on what it was, but said it would be sent to federal labs for further testing. Bellmore reaction “It’s crazy. I hope everyone is safe,” remarked Elinor Halama of Bellmore, when told of the incident. “It’s incredible to see all these responders and people here.” Michael Riccio, owner of Riccio Salon across the street from the post office, told Bellmore Life that Bellmore was the kind of place people could remain low-key if they were trying to evade the law. But he was impressed that county police had been tailing her and knew of her whereabouts. “County police are very thorough,” he said.
“This is a real show of force,” agreed Dawn (not divulging her last name), who works at Atlantic Dermatology. “I’ve never seen this kind of response before.” Two county hazmat trucks were seen racing down Merrick Avenue in North Merrick on the way to the crime scene in Bellmore.
