The Phillips Avenue Elementary School teacher arrested on driving while intoxicated and weapon possession charges after a traffic stop in Southampton Village April 21 was arraigned on an 11-count indictment in Suffolk County Criminal Court this morning.

Joe Johnson, 38, of Southampton, is facing two felony weapons possession charges, as well as charges of driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stay in lane, use of a mobile phone while driving and other vehicle and traffic law infractions.

Johnson was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on May 8. He was arraigned today before Judge James F.X. Doyle where he entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

According to Assistant District Attorney Stacy Skorupa, Southampton Village police officer Kimberly McMahon observed Johnson failing to maintain his lane and speaking on a mobile phone while he was driving on Hill Street at about 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, April 21. Johnson had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, the police officer said. He told the officer he was on his way home from the Southampton Publick House and that he had "had a few" drinks, Skorupa said. Johnson consented to a field sobriety breathalyzer test, which indicated that he had a blood-alcohol content of .14 percent, Skorupa said. Johnson later refused a chemical test at the precinct, according to the prosecutor.

Johnson's driver's license was suspended and had been suspended five times in the past, Skorupa told the court.

The arresting officer also found a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition in the glove box of Johnson's car, according to the prosecutor.

Skorupa told the court of Johnson's past involvement with the law, which includes a 2006 out-of-state driving under the influence of alcohol conviction.

A decade earlier, Johnson had been charged with possession of a stolen gun and criminal trespass in Thomas County, Kan., Skorupa said. He pleaded guilty to the 1996 trespass charge, while the gun charge was dismissed in satisfaction of the plea, the prosecutor said. He was also convicted of five counts of passing a worthless check in the same jurisdiction that year, she said.

Johnson's defense attorney John Ciarelli of Riverhead, submitted written testimonials to his client's character provided by the defendant's friends and family.

Johnson was a college student at the time of the prior convictions in Kansas, Ciarelli said.

"Life has changed a lot for him since he was a college student," his lawyer said.

Johnson has been employed as a teacher by the Riverhead Central School District since 2000. He was administratively reassigned to his home immediately after the district got word of his arrest, Riverhead School Superintendent Nancy Carney said today.

"This district is committed to hiring individuals who are professionally and ethically fit to work with our children," Carney said. Johnson was fingerprinted and cleared by New York State prior to being hired as a teacher, Carney said.

Johnson was released on $15,000 cash bail. He is next due back in court on June 13.

The indictment returned by the grand jury charges him with: one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a class C felony; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor; one count of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor; one count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, a misdemeanor; and six traffic infractions.

Photo caption: Riverhead elementary school teacher Joe Johnson of Southampton, left, leaves the Suffolk County Criminal courtroom where he was arraigned today before Judge James F.X. Doyle, accompanied by his attorney John Ciarelli. RiverheadLOCAL photo by Emil Breitenbach Jr.

2012 0518 Johnson Indictment

The Suffolk County National Bank headquarters on Second Street was evacuated early Thursday afternoon due to an odor of gas.

The building remained evacuated for about an hour while Riverhead Fire Department firefighters searched for the source of the odor. The source was deemed to be the heating and air conditioning unit on the roof, according to Riverhead Fire Department Chief Anthony White.

A heating and air conditioning maintenance crew was notified to check on the systems functionality, White said.

The evacuation consisted of approximately 30 people and was conducted prior to the fire department's arrival just before 1 p.m.

Riverhead Fire Department responded with four trucks and about 35 firefighters.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.

Guillermo Alfonso Alvarado Ajcuc, 21, of Riverhead, strangled Mirian Garcia to death with his belt as he raped her outside a Riverhead shopping center on May 6, according to prosecutors.

Alvarado Ajcuc, charged with second-degree murder, was arraigned in Riverhead Justice Court Thursday morning, where he entered a plea of not guilty. He was represented by attorney Eileen Powers of Riverhead, an assigned public defender.

Speaking through a translator, Alvarado Ajcuc told the court he is an undocumented day laborer who lives in Riverhead with his father. He has been in the United States for four years, he said.

Prosecutors said the rape and murder occurred at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, May 6.

Garcia's body was discovered Monday morning in the wooded area outside the Route 58 shopping center where she was last seen Saturday night at Sabor Latino Restaurant, according to police. The 29-year-old woman was also a Guatemalen immigrant, police said.

Assistant District Attorney Glenn Kurtzrock told the court felony charges against the defendant will be presented to a Suffolk County grand jury on Tuesday, May 22.

Riverhead Town Justice Allen Smith warned Alvarado Ajcuc that he faces deportation from the United States as a result of the charges brought against him.

Because of his immigration status, Alvarado Ajcuc is not eligible for bail and was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility.

Suffolk Police announced the arrest early this morning. See story.

Suffolk Police have charged a 21-year-old Riverhead man with the murder of Mirian Garcia, 29, who was found dead behind a Riverhead shopping center May 7.

Suffolk County homicide detectives arrested Guillermo Alfonso Alvarado Ajcuc, 21, of Riverhead, last night and charged him with second-degree murder, according to a news release issued early Thursday morning by Suffolk Police.

Garcia's body was discovered early in the morning of Monday, May 7, in a wooded area at the edge of the parking lot behind the Route 58 shopping center where the Department of Motor Vehicles is located, according to police. She was last seen Saturday night at the Sabor Latino Restaurant located in the same center, according to Suffolk County Police Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick, chief of the homicide division.

Police have not released details of the manner of death.

Alvarado Ajcuc was held overnight at Riverhead Police headquarters and is scheduled to be arraigned today in Riverhead Justice Court, police said.