(Updated- 12:30 p.m.) A homeless man living in a West Main Street shelter was remanded to the county jail this morning in lieu of $100,000 bail following a hearing in Riverhead Justice Court on robbery and reckless driving charges.
Khashif A. Spencer, 29, is facing a felony robbery charge and a misdemeanor reckless driving charge after he forcibly took keys from a female Target employee outside the Route 58 discount store Friday evening, pushed her and stole her 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, according to Riverhead Police. The woman, who was on a dinner break, was getting into her car when she was accosted by Spencer.
The victim called police, who pursued the stolen vehicle. During the chase, Spencer drove the Camaro at speeds in excess of 80 mph in a 40 mph zone on Sound Avenue in Riverhead, crossing the double-yellow line twice and forcing oncoming traffic onto the shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision.
The vehicle owner and police notified OnStar, the built-in vehicle tracking and notification system that allows an operator to remotely slow down and stop a reported stolen vehicle. That allowed police to take the man into custody without further incident, police said.
Spencer told the court he grew up in Greenport and has lived in various shelters provided by the Suffolk County Department of Social Services, most recently at the one operated by Community Housing Innovations at 629 West Main Street, where he was placed one week ago, he said. Prior to that he spent two weeks at a shelter in Port Jefferson and before that at another in Farmingville, he said.
He told the court he is unemployed and has not had a job since working as a stock boy in high school.
Spencer has a criminal history that began in his youth, according to court records. “The NCIC report shows two convictions, an open warrant and open cases,” Riverhead Town Justice Allen Smith said. Smith set bail at $100,000.
The defendant repeatedly requested a Legal Aid attorney, despite being told by the judge several times one would be provided. He also said several times he wanted to “update funds for that bail,” which the judge did not understand. Spencer didn’t seem to understand the judge’s requests for clarification.
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.
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