Guns, grenades, chemicals, drugs found in Woodmere home

When 4th Precinct police officers John Lutz and Robert Ryan responded to a call that an alarm was sounding at 237 Narrow Lane in Woodmere on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., the veteran patrolmen most likely didn’t think they would discover 120 guns, several grenades, chemicals used to make explosives, boxes of ammunition, and what police described as an “extensive amount of marijuana.”

Officers Lutz and Ryan found Marc Ringel, 53, in the driveway of the home that belongs to Ringel’s parents working on a van, police said. Ringel told the officers that the alarm was probably from the vehicle.

“The officers found Ringel to be very, very nervous and he had no identification on him,” said Police Commissioner Thomas Dale. “When they opened the door to the house to verify his identity there was a very, very strong smell of marijuana and they saw a handgun.” There were also two grenades in plain view.

Ringel attempted to push the officers out of the door, however they gained control of the situation and called for assistance, Dale said. Authorities obtained a search warrant, and Nassau County police, ATF and FBI officers found guns of all sizes and calibers scattered throughout the house and chemicals used to make explosive devices, including pipe bombs.

An area of 20 houses was evacuated as a precautionary measure. Residents of those homes were permitted to return earlier on Tuesday. Police said safety was an issue as the arms and other materials were scattered throughout the house, and they were unsure if the home was booby-trapped.

In addition, the law enforcement agents discovered a shallow pit with a wire that spanned from the pit to the house, which they think was used to test explosives. “The munitions was believed to be live and our Arson/Bomb Squad detonated them,” said Chief of Department Steven Syrnecki. ”There was enough explosives to level the home and the entire block.”

Ringel, a Woodmere native, graduated from Lawrence High School, police said and left New York in the 1980s. He lived in the Midwest and married. There is a prior conviction in his past on a domestic charge, but police weren’t sure which state that occurred in.

Divorced in 2004, he returned to Long Island five years later and since then has lived in several places, including living on and off with his parents, Syrnecki said. Ringel was not drunk nor high when the police took him into custody. He is currently unemployed.

His parents, who were expected to return from Florida on Wednesday, Mar. 7, apparently didn’t know what their son was doing or what items he had in the house, police said, as he moved in after they left a few months ago.

Syrnecki said that at this time, Ringel has no known ties to any extremist groups. Though the police are unaware of him being a drug dealer, the amount of marijuana found is considered enough for potential sale. Syrnecki called the home a “grow house” for marijuana. Ringel also has no legal pistol license or a collector’s license for the guns, police said.

“It is highly unusual to find this type of activity in this neighborhood,” said Syrnecki, who added that the investigation is continuing and along with the ATF and FBI have carted out more evidence from the house to learn more about Ringel’s motives, intent and relationships.

Ringel is expected to be arraigned, today, Thursday for multiple charges at First District Court in Hempstead. Charges could be added, said Syrnecki, who added that Ringel was coherent, but not speaking to police.

“Thanks to do the great work by officers Ryan and Lutz we apprehended a potential madman and averted a serious, dangerous situation in Nassau County,” said County Executive Ed Mangano. Lutz has served on the force for 19 and half years and Ryan has served for one year less.

“We commend Nassau’s Fourth Precinct and Inspector Christopher Clearly, the ATF and the FBI, the alacrity with which our government responded,” said Woodmere resident Asher Matathias.