Suffolk police officer hurt, 2 charged after pursuit of 4 in catalytic converter thefts, prosecutors say

Two Bronx men face multiple charges after allegedly stealing catalytic converters from vehicles in Lindenhurst before fleeing Suffolk County police at high speed in a Maserati SUV in a chase that also injured an officer, prosecutors said on Sunday.

Henry Cruz, 25, the alleged driver, and Luis Acosta, 23, were among four people in the Maserati early Saturday when police attempted to pull the SUV over in Lindenhurst. 

Cruz refused to stop, speeding at more than 90 mph, prosecutors said at the two men's arraignment Sunday at Suffolk County Criminal Court in Central Islip.

"He has a complete disregard for lawful authority and the safety of others," prosecutor Sean Lorthioir said of Cruz during the arraignment.

Prosecutors and the Suffolk police did not say how officers became aware of the alleged thefts or how many vehicles were targeted.

Police used stop sticks to flatten the tires of the SUV, disabling the vehicle. The four occupants jumped out and fled on foot into a wooded area along the Southern State Parkway, according to Lorthioir. An officer who gave pursuit tripped and fell, breaking a bone in his leg, the prosecutor said.

"During the pursuit, a ... police officer’s feet became tangled, and he fell to the ground, suffering a broken fibula," Lorthioir said.

The injury requires surgery, taking the officer off the job for several months, he added.

Police did not catch the other two people who allegedly fled.

Cruz and Acosta both face charges of assaulting a police officer, stealing car parts, property damage and resisting arrest. Cruz faces an additional charge of fleeing police.

Both men pleaded not guilty Sunday and are scheduled to return to court on March 12.

Judge Bernard Cheng set bail for Cruz at $75,000 cash, $225,000 bond, or $750,000 partially secured bond. Bail for Acosta was set at $50,000 cash, $150,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond.

Cruz and Acosta’s attorneys, Chase Brown and Pooja Mathur, respectively, both said the men did not cause the officer’s injury.

"We never want to see members of the Suffolk County Police Department get hurt," Brown told Newsday.

In court Sunday, Brown said, "There is no indication before us that ... my client caused that injury."

Cruz, a father of two, lives with his mother in the Bronx, Brown said. In 2024, he was convicted of attempted weapons possession, and in 2023, he was convicted of fleeing from police, according to Lorthioir.

Acosta, who spoke through a Spanish translator in court on Sunday, is a delivery worker in the Bronx, Mathur said. He has no criminal history.