For Immediate Release October 13, 2017
Incident: Woman Arrested After Buying Heroin With Her 4-Year-Old Son in Her Vehicle
Location: Hollo Drive, Holbrook, New York
Date/Time: Friday, October 13, 2017 at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Suffolk County Police today arrested a Middle Island mother for buying heroin with her 4-year-old son in the car in Holbrook this afternoon.
Fourth Squad detectives and Fourth Precinct Crime Section Gang officers observed the driver of a 2004 Toyota Corolla, Giovanna Mirando, parked in her vehicle on Hollo on Drive in Holbrook, New York, at approximately 2:30 p.m. Mirando’s passenger, Nicholas Verna, then met Michael Scalia a short distance away and purchased a quantity of heroin from Scalia. Verna returned to the vehicle, kept a portion of the drugs for himself and gave Mirando the rest. As Mirando began to drive away, detectives and officers pulled over the Toyota and found Mirando’s 4-year-old son in the back seat of the Toyota.
Mirando, 34, of Middle Island, New York, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. She was released on station house bail and will be arraigned at a later date.
Verna, 32, of East Patchogue, New York, and Scalia, 32, of Farmingville, New York, were both charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Verna will be held at the Third Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on October 14. Scalia will be held at the Fourth Precinct and is also scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on October 14.
The child was taken to the Fourth Precinct and released to a family member. Suffolk County Child Protective Services was notified.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Authority: Timothy D. Sini, Police Commissioner 17-601362
Suffolk County Police Department MK/2315
