Three Salvadorans Freed Without Bail After Molotov Cocktails Found in Brentwood Stop

Two glass beer bottles packed with gasoline and fitted with fuel-soaked rags were sitting in the rear door pocket of a Honda when a Suffolk County police officer looked inside during a late-night traffic stop on Lexington Avenue near Caleb's Path in Brentwood. The driver had just climbed from behind the wheel into the back seat.

That discovery on March 10 led to the arrest of Elvis Osvaldo Romero Martinez, 20, of Brentwood; Albert Yanes Moran, 20, also of Brentwood; and Lorenzo Nohely Alvarado Navarette, 18, of Bay Shore. All three were charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a felony carrying up to seven years in prison. All three walked free after arraignment.

The stop occurred in the early morning hours, with the DA's office placing the time at approximately 1:38 a.m. and Newsday and other outlets reporting 2:28 a.m., citing Third Precinct officers who pulled the vehicle after observing erratic driving. Officers also found a canister of gasoline in the trunk.

Prosecutors say the men were not driving aimlessly. According to the DA's office, the group intended to firebomb the vehicle of someone they had previously had a dispute with, and were acting on instructions from a fourth individual who has not been charged.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney credited police for averting what could have been a far more serious outcome. "Thanks to the great work of Suffolk County Police Officers, these Molotov cocktails were discovered and neutralized before anyone could be hurt," Tierney said. "This alleged conduct will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and my office will be working with our law enforcement partners to make sure that individuals who seek to endanger our citizens are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Despite the severity of the alleged plot, the three men were released after their March 11 arraignment before Judges Jennifer A. Henry and Pierce F. Cohalan in Suffolk County District Court. The DA's office explained the outcome plainly: "Because the charge falls under a subsection that is not eligible for bail under New York law, prosecutors were unable to request bail and the court could not set it."

Federal authorities cited in the DA's release identified Alvarado Navarette as a lawful permanent resident from El Salvador. Yanes Moran and Romero Martinez, according to those same federal authorities, have no legal status in the United States. Romero Martinez was also issued multiple traffic summonses related to the stop.

The case is being prosecuted by Matthew Laube of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Detective Andrew Shifrin of the SCPD's Third Squad. Whether the alleged fourth individual directing the operation will face charges remains an open question as the case moves forward.