Two teens charged in assault on man, 73, collecting bottles in Hauppauge, Suffolk police say

An 18-year-old and 17-year-old were arrested in an assault of a 73-year-old man outside a market in Hauppauge earlier this week, Suffolk police said.

Keeghan Lynch, 18, and two 17-year-old boys confronted the man at the Bolla Market on Route 111 in Hauppauge on Tuesday around 3:40 p.m., police said in a news release on Saturday The man had been collecting bottles in the parking lot, the release said.

The 17-year-olds struck the man with a bottle and kicked and punched him before taking off in a Chevrolet Trailblazer, the release said. The man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The SUV was later spotted in Shirley, where one of the 17-year-olds ordered a 67-year-old man on an electric scooter to give him the scooter, according to the release. The man instead fled.

Lynch, of Remsenburg, was arrested at his home and charged with two counts of second-degree assault. Lynch was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday. He pleaded not guilty and was released without cash bail, online court records show.

The 17-year-old charged with third-degree attempted robbery and two counts of second-degree assault. He will be arraigned at the Youth Part of First District Court. 

The other 17-year-old boy has been identified by police but not arrested, although the investigation continues, police said. 

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.