Shirley woman hit teen on purpose with SUV in Mastic Beach, police say

Suffolk County police on Saturday arrested a Shirley woman who they say intentionally struck a teenager with her SUV on Friday morning in Mastic Beach. 

Jennifer Nelson, 35, approached a group of teenagers at 388 Mastic Road around 9:40 a.m. Friday where she confronted them about an earlier altercation involving her child, police said. The teens scattered, and Nelson struck a 15-year-old boy with her 2020 Honda Passport in a parking lot, police said in a news release. The boy was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Nelson's attorney, Katherine Fernandez, said her client's son has been bullied often since the family moved to the area.

"In the past two years since they moved out to Long Island her son has been bullied every single day," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said shortly after her client's son walked off the bus, he was robbed at knifepoint by a group of kids, who stole his Adidas Yeezy Slides. He said that after the robbery the mother left her job to pick up her son. Fernandez said Nelson had gone to a nearby deli to get ice for bruises her son sustained during the robbery when the incident in the parking lot happened.

Fernandez said Nelson is considering filing a report about the theft of her son's property. 

Nelson was arrested Saturday afternoon and faces charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting personal injury. She was held overnight, then released after her arraignment Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip, according to court records. A temporary order of protection was also issued against her. 

With Brinley Hineman