SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. - A Long Island man is facing his fifth public lewdness charge after a woman recognized him from media coverage of his previous arrests and reported a February encounter to police.
Nicholas Critelli, 20, of Ronkonkoma, was arrested on Oct. 22 and arraigned the following day on one count of public lewdness, a class B misdemeanor, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
The backstory:
The newly charged incident happened on the morning of Feb. 26 in the parking lot of the AMC Stony Brook 17 movie theater.
Investigators said Critelli was driving a dark gray Nissan Altima when he pulled up next to a woman who was loading recently purchased items into her vehicle. He made eye contact with the woman and began masturbating, according to court documents.
The woman recognized Critelli from news reports that aired after his arraignment on similar charges earlier in October and came forward to authorities.
Timeline:
Critelli faces allegations involving five separate incidents this year, according to prosecutors:
June 4 and June 6: Arrested and arraigned for allegedly masturbating in front of two women; released on his own recognizance.
Oct. 1 and Oct. 14: Arrested again for allegedly masturbating in front of two women; placed on supervised release.
Feb. 26: The newly charged case reported by the victim following recent media coverage.
What's next:
District Court Judge Steve Weissbard handled the Oct. 23 arraignment. Critelli is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 4. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact the Suffolk County Police Department's Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.
The Source: This article was written using information from a press release issued by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.