Supporters Rally For Teen Hurt In Hamptons 'Road Rage' Case

EAST HAMPTON — Carrying signs that read "Justice for David" and "Latino Lives Matter," supporters of a teen injured in a Hamptons road rage incident gathered outside the home of Charles Streep in East Hampton Thursday to demand that he appear in person for his court appearance.

East Hampton Village Police said the incident took place on August 27 in the parking lot of Chase Bank on Main Street. Police responded to reports of a possible fight and found David Peralta, 18, of Springs, who had sustained "serious head trauma" and needed emergency surgery, officials said. An investigation revealed that Streep had assaulted him, police said.

Streep, the nephew of actress Meryl Streep, was arrested at an East Hampton Village home on August 27 and charged with second degree assault and second degree strangulation, police said. Those felony chargeswere dismissedand reduced to misdemeanors by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, attorneys for Streep said.

Those present early Thursday morning came to stand in solidarity with Peralta; his supporters have previously gathered at the courthouse.

According to Edward Chakmakian, Peralta's attorney, Streep has not personally appeared at the last several court dates.

Streep's attorney Andrew J. Weinstein did not immediately return a request for comment.

Thursday's court date was a status conference; the next court date is scheduled for April 29, Chakmakian said.

After the felony charges were dismissed, Streep's attorneys Weinstein and Brian Desesa released a joint statement: "In our view, today's proceedings simply confirm what we have said all along — that Mr. Streep was innocent of both of the serious violent felony offenses with which he was charged," they said. "Mr. Streep is extremely grateful that both of the felony charges have now been dismissed. Mr. Streep is equally grateful that the District Attorney's office rejected the misguided lobbying effort by Mr. Peralta's counsel to have this case prosecuted as a hate crime. As with the original felony charges, we are confident that Mr. Streep will be fully vindicated of the reduced misdemeanor charges as well."

Streep was initially arraigned by East Hampton Town Justice Steve Tekulsky and was released on $5,000 bail, police said. That bail was exonerated and Streep was released on his own recognizance.

Chakmakian also represents Peralta in a civil case in New York City, where Streep lives when not at his family's summer home in East Hampton. "We want compensation for his pain and suffering, for his medical bills, which are well over $100,000, and for future medical bills," he said. "We faces a long road of therapy, neurologic workup, MRIs — he faces a very uncertain future."

After the incident, which occurred when Streep reportedly failed to yield at a stop sign, Peralta suffered an epidural hematoma, Chakmakian said. Peralta is a "hardworking kid," with two jobs who was about to begin his sophomore year at John Jay when the incident took place, Chakmakian said. "Now he doesn't leave his house," has cognitive issues, is light sensitive and has severe headaches, Chakmakian said. "His brain injury was life-altering," he said. "He's got a long road and a very uncertain recovery ahead of him."

Of the incident, Chakmakian said he believed it was "an obscene display of privilege and anger on a beautiful summer day in East Hampton."

The community has come together to help Peralta: A GoFundMe page, "Help David," was organized by Kurt Wenzel of East Hampton.

According to Wenzel, Peralta worked as a server at Dopo La Spiaggia restaurant in East Hampton.