Crime & Safety

Police: Two Women Charged With Child Endangerment, Drug Possession

Tara Riley, Amanda Kosby were arrested in East Patchogue Wednesday for drug possession with children in the car, police say.

Two women were discovered in possession of heroin and needles in their parked car while two children were sitting in the vehicle's back seat Wednesday in East Patchogue, Suffolk County Police say.

Police say Tara Riley, 26 of Medford, and Amanda Kosby, 27 of North Bellport, were first observed by officers Stacey Copozzi and Christine Balsamo sitting in a 2002 Ford Explorer in the parking lot of the East Winds apartment complex at 901 Montauk Highway around 9:30 p.m.

Police say that Riley, who was in the driver's seat, and Kosby, in the front passenger seat, were both in possession of hypodermic instruments containing heroin. Riley's four-year-old daughter and Kosby's five-year-old son were passengers in the back seat of the car.

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Police say there were open bags of heroin on the front seat of the vehicle, and that the two women stated they had gotten high earlier that day.

Both women were charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of controlled substance in the seventh degree and criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument.

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Riley and Kosby are being held at the Fifth Precinct and face arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip Thursday. Both children were released into the custody of family members, and Suffolk County Child Protective Services were notified.


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