Remsenburg Man Arrested After Threatening Driver With Crowbar

Southampton Town police arrested a 64-year-old Remsenburg man Saturday after he allegedly pulled out a crowbar and threatened another driver in a mid-afternoon road-rage confrontation, charges that carry consequences well beyond what a simple shouting match would.

Victor Verenitch was taken into custody after Southampton police responded to the scene just after 2:30 p.m. on March 28. The investigation revealed that Verenitch had threatened another driver with the crowbar. No injuries were reported. Officers apprehended him nearby and transported him to Southampton Town Police headquarters for processing, with arraignment scheduled for the following morning.

Verenitch faces two charges: menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. Under New York Penal Law, menacing in the second degree requires prosecutors to prove that the defendant intentionally placed another person in reasonable fear of physical injury or death by displaying a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. Criminal possession of a weapon with unlawful intent, a Class A misdemeanor, applies when a person knowingly possesses a dangerous or deadly instrument with the intent to use it unlawfully against another. A crowbar, while not a firearm, fits squarely within New York's definition of a dangerous instrument when wielded in a threatening manner, which means both counts can proceed even without a shot fired or a punch thrown. Together, the charges carry the potential for up to a year in jail on each count and fines up to $1,000 per count, depending on how the case is adjudicated.

Southampton police described the incident as an isolated road-rage confrontation, but the introduction of a weapon elevates it from a traffic dispute into serious criminal territory. Investigators stressed the value of physical evidence in cases like this: dash-cam footage, Ring doorbell video, and commercial surveillance recordings can corroborate a victim's account and establish the exact sequence of events, details that matter most when a case turns on whether a defendant intended to threaten or merely reached for a tool.

Southampton Town has already been grappling with traffic safety concerns, with local officials working in partnership with the town highway department and Southampton Town police to enhance public safety in Hampton Bays, Southampton, and Remsenburg, including speed monitors and improved crosswalks. The late-March timing of Saturday's confrontation also matters: as the Hamptons ramp toward peak-season traffic volumes in April and May, frustration behind the wheel historically climbs with the car counts on Route 27 and the narrow residential roads feeding South Shore hamlets like Remsenburg.

Anyone who witnesses a road-rage escalation should prioritize distance over confrontation: drive to a populated area, call 911 with the suspect vehicle's make, model, color, and plate number, and note the time and exact location. If a camera captured any part of the incident, preserve the footage immediately and notify police, since overwritten recordings can eliminate what might be the strongest evidence in a case.

The outcome of Verenitch's arraignment will determine whether the matter moves to Suffolk County District Court for a full adjudication or is resolved at the local level. Given that no one was injured and the defendant has no publicly reported prior record, prosecutorial discretion will weigh heavily, but menacing and weapons charges in New York are not routinely dismissed when a physical object was allegedly displayed. The case will stand as a signal, both to the courts and to drivers sharing South Shore roads this spring, of how quickly a bad commute can become a criminal matter.