Mark Callahan Arrested After Allegedly Dragging 64‑Year‑Old in Port Jefferson Station

Mark Callahan, 53, of 48 Old Post Road in Mount Sinai, allegedly drove a 2001 Chevrolet SUV up to a 64-year-old woman in the T.J. Maxx/ShopRite parking lot at 5125 Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station at approximately 12:55 p.m. on Feb. 18. "The victim held onto the purse as the suspect returned to his SUV and began to drive away. She was dragged for a short distance before letting go," police said.

After the purse-snatching, officers say the woman was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "The woman was dragged for a short distance before she let go of the purse," police said in reporting of the incident, and authorities have not released the victim's name or the specific hospital where she received treatment.

Sixth Precinct officers in Selden located the SUV a short time later and attempted a traffic stop on County Road 83. The vehicle fled southbound and crashed on Horseblock Road just west of CR-83 in Farmingville, where officers arrested the driver. Patrol and investigative units assigned to the Sixth Precinct and Sixth Squad handled the stop, pursuit and subsequent robbery probe.

Officers identified the arrestee as Mark Callahan, 53. "Police said Callahan sustained self-inflicted stab wounds and was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," authorities reported. Suffolk County Sixth Squad detectives charged Callahan with Robbery in the Second Degree and said he is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date.

Investigators have said the SUV involved was a 2001 Chevrolet SUV and that the vehicle was located shortly after the reported robbery. Police have not indicated whether the stolen purse or any other property was recovered, nor have they released whether there were additional occupants in the SUV.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the robbery to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652. Residents who saw activity in the parking lot of 5125 Nesconset Highway around 12:55 p.m. on Feb. 18 or who have surveillance footage from that location are being urged to call the tip line to assist the ongoing investigation.