Another local man arrested in burglary where resident shot intruders

Suffolk Police have now arrested a Mattituck man for his alleged role in an East Islip burglary April 13 in which one man was shot dead by a resident of the home.

Martin Tarpey, 25, of Bay Avenue, has been charged with burglary first degree, according to a Suffolk County Police press release issued this morning. Tarpey is scheduled to be arraigned today in First District Court in Central Islip.

An Aquebogue man was also charged with first degree burglary in the incident. Phillip Robinette, 27, fled the scene after the botched burglary and was pursued by police, who apprehended him a short time afterwards.

Fred Flock, 27, of Coram, was killed by a shotgun-wielding resident of the house at 60 Adams Street in East Islip. Police said Flock was one of the burglars who broke into the house shortly after midnight April 13. One of the burglars, not identified by police, was armed with a .22 caliber rifle and shot a dog on the premises, police said.

Flock was originally from Riverhead and was the father of an eight-month-old son.

A fourth alleged burglar identified by police, Justin Benkov, 24, of Mastic, was also injured by gunfire. He was taken to Southside hospital in Bay Shore, where police said he was in critical condition.

Last May, Robinette (right) led Riverhead Town Police on a downtown foot chase after a knife fight outside Spicey’s on West Main Street, according to a Riverhead Town Police report. Robinette ran through the Riverhead library and along the railroad tracks before being apprehended by police, the report said.

Robinette pleaded guilty on Dec. 7 to assault second degree and assault third degree in connection with the incident. He was sentenced to time served by Judge Gary Weber, according Robert Clifford, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. Prosecutors had requested Robinette be sentences to one year in prison, Clifford said. The West Main Street fight broke out after a man verbally accosted Robinette from across the street, according to police, who said it was unknown who pulled out the knife.

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.