Holtsville woman charged in crime spree that included bank robbery, crashing into police vehicle

The allegations against a Holtsville woman unsealed Tuesday include robbing a bank, leading police on two car chases with a vehicle stolen from a hospital, damaging two police cars and injuring one police officer, amounting to 13 felonies and misdemeanors, authorities said.

Nina Cahill, 42, of Holtsville, was indicted on charges of assault and grand larceny among other related crimes in a spree that included allegedly injuring a Suffolk highway patrol officer, according to a news release from District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office.

"The defendant allegedly compounded her already serious crimes by recklessly attempting to evade responsibility by fleeing from police," Tierney said in the release. "In so doing, the defendant endangered passing motorists and ultimately injured a police officer."

Authorities allege that on Sept. 4, 2024, Cahill stole a 2007 Toyota Corolla from the valet stand at the Stony Brook University Hospital Emergency Room. Two days later, she allegedly drove the stolen vehicle to Chase Bank on Middle Country Road in Selden, where she passed a teller a note demanding "all the money in the teller’s drawer," according to the release. She allegedly fled in the stolen car after stealing approximately $500, the district attorney said.

On Sept. 7, 2024, Cahill was allegedly the subject of two high speed pursuits. Authorities said that at approximately 3:30 p.m., police spotted her driving the stolen Corolla in Lake Ronkonkoma. When a Suffolk County police officer activated his lights to pull her over, Cahill allegedly fled at a high rate of speed. The chase "had to be terminated for safety reasons," according to the release.

Approximately four hours later, Cahill was allegedly spotted in the stolen Toyota in a parking lot north of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 61, Patchogue Patchogue Holbrook Road in Holbrook. As police attempted to approach her, officials said Cahill allegedly backed out of the parking space into an unmarked police car before speeding toward Exit 61 on the westbound side of the expressway.

Suffolk County police said Cahill then exited the LIE at Exit 60 to the service road in Lake Ronkonkoma, "reversed direction and drove the wrong way back to Exit 61." She changed course, heading west toward Exit 58, Old Nichols Road in Islandia, but then allegedly "drove the wrong way" on the north service road, police said.

"At some point, she reentered the LIE from an exit ramp and began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes," Suffolk County police said in a release following the incident. "A highway patrol officer traveling westbound saw the Toyota approaching, activated lights and sirens, and slowed down as the Toyota crashed into his vehicle head-on between Exit 58 and Exit 59."

The district attorney’s office said the highway patrol officer was injured. After the collision, Cahill allegedly attempted to flee on foot before she was apprehended.

On Tuesday, Cahill pleaded not guilty at her arraignment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr., according to Chase Brown, her Central Islip-based defense attorney.

She has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault — violent felonies; fourth-degree grand larceny; third degree robbery; petit larceny; fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property; two counts of reckless driving; two counts of third degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer; first-degree reckless endangerment; second-degree reckless endangerment; and fourth degree criminal mischief, the district attorney’s office said.

"We look forward to our day in court," Brown said in a telephone Tuesday afternoon. "There’s a lot more to the story than the DA’s office has presented thus far."

Senft ordered Cahill be held on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond, or $1,000,000 partially secured bond. She is due back in court on Oct. 15.