Week in Review: Dead Body in Nissequogue Car Fire; Shooting Threat at West

A body found in the car fire Tuesday morning at Short Beach in Nissequogue was so extensively damaged that authorities could not even identify the sex, police said. Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick of the Suffolk County Police Homicide Department said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon that it was too early in the investigation to determine the cause of the fire or identify the victim and police are hoping to have more information of the victim’s identity Wednesday. 

Police have identified the body found dead in Tuesday's fatal car fire at Short Beach in Nissequogue. According to police, the victim is Lauren Fontana, 45, of Middle Island. A police investigation into the death is ongoing. 

Smithtown High School West will be on police lockdown on Friday after threatening graffiti written on a bathroom wall prompted police action on Thursday afternoon. “A student reported that somebody had written a threatening comment in a girl’s bathroom at High School West. The comment stated they were going to shoot up the school on March 9,” Superintendent Edward Ehmann said.

Roughly 200 of the 1,700 students enrolled at were absent Friday following a  discovered Thursday before dismissal. 

David Smith of St. James is set to appear in court Friday stemming from a December 2011 incident where police say he pointed a green laser at an airplane. Smith will have a court conference Friday morning at First District Court in Central Islip, according to Robert Clifford, director of communnications for the First District Court.