Trio arrested on weapons and conspiracy charges
What started as Nassau County Police officers responding to a 911 call to check on the well-being of a resident resulted in the arrest of three individuals on various weapons and conspiracy charges. On Wednesday, July 15 at 7 a.m., police were called to 228 Staples St. in Farmingdale after being contacted that 33-year-old Daniel Petrizzo was threatening to shoot himself.
“He was out of control and threatening to shoot himself,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder at a subsequent press conference.
When officers arrived, the situation with was deescalated and police were given permission to enter the home, which is owned by Petrizzo’s father. As he was being interviewed, two other subjects, 32-year-old Tiffany Pawson and 35-year-old Eddie Fernandez, were present. Also observed on a table were various chemicals in liquid and powder form as well as numerous firearms in plain sight. Also noticed was a book titled The Preparatory Manual of Explosives Fourth Edition, Volume 1. Everyone was ordered out of the house for safety reasons. As officers and detectives were further investigating they received a search warrant and with the assistance of the Arson/Bomb Squad, Emergency Services Unit, Narcotics and the FBI re-entered the home.
(Photo courtesy of the Nassau County Police Department)
The extensive search yielded 22 ghost guns (unregistered firearms lacking serial numbers and purchased on the web) in addition to approximately 148 grams of an unknown narcotic believed to be cocaine, various pills and numerous chemicals that can be used to create high-powered explosive devices.
Ryder was pointed in describing the seriousness of the items found by law enforcement.
“He’s teaching himself how to build bombs, the materials that were recovered in that house by our arson bomb guys is enough to make six well-sized bombs,” he said.
“These guns are now not in the hands of bad people, those bombs will not go off and who knows how many lives will be saved,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran added.
All three subjects were placed under arrest without further incident.
Petrizzo has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 12 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, manufacture of a machine gun, third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree conspiracy and first-degree reckless endangerment. Police say a motive for the illegal weaponry is unclear at this time.
(Photo courtesy of the Nassau County Police Department)
Pawson has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 13 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, manufacture of a machine gun, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree conspiracy and first-degree reckless endangerment. She was also charged with five outstanding warrants.
(Photo courtesy of the Nassau County Police Department)
Fernandez has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, 13 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, manufacture of a machine gun, third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree conspiracy and first-degree reckless endangerment. All three defendants were arraigned on Thursday, July 16, in Mineola.
