Homeless Man Arrested After Throwing Rocks at Cars, Toppling Tombstone, Fighting Suffolk Police

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. — A homeless man was arrested Tuesday evening after allegedly throwing rocks at passing vehicles, damaging a dance studio, toppling a cemetery tombstone, and fighting with Suffolk County police officers.

According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the incident began at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday outside Huntington Rural Cemetery, located at 555 New York Avenue.

Police said Michael Laraque, 31, who is homeless, was standing along the edge of the cemetery throwing rocks into the roadway. Authorities said the rocks struck and damaged three passing vehicles and shattered a window at Laura's Dance Studio, located at 586 New York Avenue.

When responding officers arrived, police said Laraque ran into the cemetery, where he allegedly knocked over and damaged a tombstone.

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Officers attempted to take Laraque into custody, but police said he became combative and fought with the two responding officers before he was ultimately subdued and arrested.

Second Squad detectives charged Laraque with Cemetery Desecration in the First Degree, Menacing in the Second Degree, five counts of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, and two counts of Assault in the Second Degree.

Following his arrest, Laraque was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. He is expected to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

Police have not released additional information regarding the extent of the damage to the vehicles, the dance studio, or the cemetery, and the conditions of the two officers involved were not immediately available.