The off-duty NYPD officer who <a href="https://brooklyn.news12.com/nypd-off-duty-officer-critically-injured-during-armed-robbery-in-brooklyn-suspect-at-large">was shot in an armed robbery in Brooklyn Saturday night</a> is from Deer Park, a News 12 source has confirmed.

Police say the officer was attempting to purchase a car when he was shot by the seller, who pulled out a gun and tried to rob him.&nbsp;

Authorities say the officer was shot in the head and is in the hospital in critical condition.&nbsp;

According to the NYPD, the officer is a five-year veteran of the force who works patrol.&nbsp;

A congregation at the Islamic Center of Deer Park prayed for the NYPD officer on Sunday.

The imam at the center says the officer was not a member of the congregation, but he was of Muslim faith and lives in Deer Park.&nbsp;

“Anything the family needs from us, we are ready,” says Imam Abdul Razzaq Aziz.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell visited the officer in the hospital and said they will stop at nothing to find the person responsible.

New York City Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch was also at the hospital and urged lawmakers to provide help to protect police.

According to Mayor Adam’s office, the officer is married with children.&nbsp;

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

According to the NYPD, the officer is a five-year veteran of the force who works patrol. 

Source: Off-duty NYPD officer critically injured during armed robbery is from Deer Park

NEW: Much warmer and cloudier today.

NEXT: Stray shower Tuesday, on-and-off showers Thursday through Saturday.

Storm Watch Team&nbsp;Meteorologist Alex Calamia says unseasonably warm weather is back, but so are the clouds. 

TODAY: Mainly cloudy and milder. Highs in the mid-40s. Overnight lows in the 30s.

MONDAY: Sun and clouds. Still breezy. Highs mid-40s. Lows in the upper-20s.

TUESDAY: Sunny and cool to start, then milder with more clouds. A shower Tuesday night. Highs near 50. Lows near 40.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy and mild. Isolated shower possible. Highs near 50. Lows in the 40s.

THURSDAY: On-and-off showers with peeks of sunshine. Mild with highs in the 50s.

FRIDAY: Unseasonably warm with on and off showers. Mainly cloudy with highs in the 50s.

SATURDAY: Much cooler with a chance for showers. Highs near 40.

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Alex Calamia says unseasonably warm weather is back, but so are the clouds.

Mostly cloudy and milder Sunday on Long Island ahead of midweek rain

Authorities responded to a fire at a commercial building in Flower Hill on Saturday evening. 

Officers say they responded to a fire on Northern Boulevard before 6 p.m.

Roslyn's fire department and 36 other Nassau County fire departments worked together to extinguish the fire from the three-story building.

Authorities say three firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Multiple Nassau County fire departments extinguish Flower Hill commercial building fire

Police say a teenage driver is charged with DWI following a car crash that seriously injured two passengers.

Police say the crash happened Saturday in Dix Hills around 9:15 p.m.

News 12 was told the 17-year-old driver was with three passengers going eastbound on Vanderbilt Parkway.

About a quarter mile east of McCulloch Drive, the driver lost control of the car and crashed into the woods. Two of the passengers were taken to a hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver and another passenger were also treated for minor injuries.

The 17-year-old driver is charged with DWI and will be arraigned at a later date.

Police: 17-year-old driver charged with DWI after 2 injured in Dix Hills crash

Five decades of Long Island food history came to an end Saturday night as Shiro of Japan in Carle Place shut its doors for good.

Ever since Shiro of Japan announced its closing, the place was packed. However, the evening was not about saying farewell but more of a celebration of 50 years of good food and wonderful memories.

There were no tears at Shiro of Japan, only smiling faces and full stomachs. After 50 years, the Japanese steak house made its final hibachi shrimp, its last batches of fried rice and its last dinners for faithful customers.

Marie Favara, of Bay Shore, went on some of her first dates with her now husband at Shiro.

"We come around almost every Valentine's Day, we come for birthdays, we came three times since they announced the closing," Favara said.

Shiro was an institution on Long Island, hosting more celebrations than can probably be counted. Its owners claim the title of first sushi bar on Long Island and hibachi style cooking.

Westbury resident Noreen Mormando dined at Shiro for a quarter century, sometimes once a week. She said it was all about the food and the people.

"It's a family and that's what makes it so special and makes it so hard to see them go," she said.

Sophia Huang did just about every job at Shiro and 14 years later, she managed the restaurant.

"We're like a family, the customers are like a family, the staff are like a family, it's just a special feeling when you come in here," Huang said.

Co-owner Joe Faccibene said 50 years, including surviving the pandemic, is an amazing run for a restaurant and the memories will last him a lifetime.

"People talk about their grandfather brought them here when they were 5 years old and now they're bringing their 5-year-olds, so there is history here and its great to hear the stories," Faccibene said.

The reason for the closing is because Shiro lost its lease.

The owners said they have not been able to find another suitable location, so they needed to close the current locale. They said, however, there is always hope for a second act.

Carle Place's famed Shiro of Japan closes after 50 years of service

Suffolk police and the Commack Fire Department held their 13th annual blood drive in honor of fallen officer Glen Ciano. 

Ciano was killed by a drunk driver while responding to a call in Commack on Feb. 22, 2009. 

Ciano’s widow, Susan, was grateful to see close to 300 people show up to the event at the Commack Fire Department on Jericho Turnpike.  

“I feel so blessed to have so many people after 13 years want to come out for a blood drive in Glen's name,” she said.  

Bay Shore resident Dorothy Thomas says the event was a fitting tribute to Ciano.  

“Keeping his memory alive by giving back. He was a hero himself,” she said.  

Ciano’s widow, Susan, was grateful to see close to 300 people show up to the event at the Commack Fire Department on Jericho Turnpike.

Commack Fire Department, Suffolk police host annual blood drive in honor of fallen officer

The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast on orders from President Joe Biden after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America, the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Biden wanted the balloon downed on Wednesday but was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.

On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.

“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

The balloon was spotted Thursday over Montana, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn’t give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.

Republicans were critical of Biden’s response.

“Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted: “Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process. Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: “Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.”

China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation of Blinken’s trip. “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.

This isn’t the first time Chinese spy balloons have crossed into U.S. airspace in recent years, one of the officials said. At least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Biden’s time as president they’ve seen balloons cross, but not for this long, the official said.

Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leaped to use the news to mock the U.S.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it because of the balloon.

In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.

Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.

“When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous,” he said. “One second it’s there like a tiny moon and the next second it’s gone.” Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.

The balloon was downed by Air Force fighter aircraft, according to two officials who were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

US downs Chinese balloon, a flashpoint in US-China tensions

Suffolk police say a man in Lindenhurst died after falling into a canal. 

Don Seddio, 65, fell into the canal behind 990 Pacific Street at around 10 p.m. Friday night, according to Suffolk homicide detectives.  

Police pulled him out of the water and transported him to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.  

Detectives also say that he may have suffered a medical issue.  

Suffolk police: Lindenhurst man dies following fall into canal

Long Islanders did their best to stay warm Saturday, but some workers who had to be outdoors still did their jobs despite the below freezing conditions.

Syosset mail carrier John Kwon has been working through rain, snow, sleet and hail for 18 years. He knows the drill when the temperature dips to single digits and below.

“Today I think I put on at least five layers of clothes. I put three layers of pants, a hat, earmuffs and everything. As much as I can cover all my body to make me warm,” he said.

Kwon delivered letters and packages on foot to 300 houses in seven hours.

“This is what we have to do as a mail carrier, rain or shine. We have to be out here to deliver the mail and do our service for the customers,” he said.

Kwon added that his dedication to his customers and positive mindset kept him going.

“If it's really hot, that's a problem. If it's really cold, that's a problem. But as a mail carrier, we have to accept it. This is what we signed for. No matter what it is, we have to be out there to do our service for our customers,” he said.

Kwon said as soon as his shift was over, he would warm up by heading home, taking a hot shower and eating a hot meal.

Workers at Rainbow Car Wash in Hicksville also worked through the bitter blast.

"It's cold, it's cold. It's challenging but you get it done, said Mike Margaryan.

To ward off frostbite, Fernando Zavala and his fellow workers wore plenty of layers from head to toe.

"I dress enough so the wind doesn't go through and we keep moving so that's the only way to keep warm," Zavala said. "Yep, I'm waiting for summer."

‘We have to accept it.’ Outdoor workers bundle up under frigid temperatures

The Douglaston congressional office of Rep. George Santos was defaced with graffiti, according to the NYPD.

Sometime Thursday night into Friday morning, a vandal or vandals spray painted the front window of Santos' office.

The gold paint graffiti had the Santos' name along with some expletives in three languages.

The window was cleaned up sometime on Friday, even though remnants of the paint still remain.

In a statement, Santos said, "This act of cowardly behavior is beyond unacceptable and compromises the safety of my staff as well as my constituents. My staff should never have to worry about entering the workplace, nor constituents who require federal assistance."

The NYPD confirmed to News 12 that the 111th Precinct is investigating a complaint of criminal mischief at the office. On Saturday, a squad car from the precinct was parked out front.

Neighboring business did not want to talk to News 12 about the vandalism.

Santos has come under fire for admittedly lying about aspects of his life while he was running for Congress. The embattled congressman continues to be hounded by journalists in Washington D.C., asking about his record and about <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/sources-fbi-contacted-veteran-who-claims-santos-stole-money-for-sick-dog">an FBI investigation</a> into <a href="https://newjersey.news12.com/hes-a-con-man-veteran-from-nj-says-rep-santos-stole-from-dying-dog">if he took money from a veterans dying dog's GoFundMe campaign</a>.

There is a video doorbell on the front of Santos' office but it was not immediately known if it recorded the act of vandalism.

RELATED:&nbsp; <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/long-islanders-express-views-unchanged-of-rep-george-santos-following-interview">New filing with FEC leads to more questions about source of Santos campaign donations</a> <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/rep-george-santos-tells-colleagues-he-wont-serve-on-2-committees">Rep. George Santos tells colleagues he won't serve on 2 committees</a>

Santos has come under fire for admittedly lying about aspects of his life while he was running for Congress. T

NYPD: Rep. Santos’ Queens office defaced with graffiti 

Police say a man&nbsp;is being treated for serious injuries following a crash in West Islip Friday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officials say the crash happened just before 9 p.m. on Union Boulevard. &nbsp;

Police say a driver in a BMW was driving westbound when the car crashed into an eastbound Toyota Sedan attempting to turn left into a parking lot.

The driver of the Toyota Mauricio Ramos, 53, of West Islip is being treated for serious injuries.

According to officials, the other driver is also recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. &nbsp;

Police: Driver recovering from serious injuries following crash in West Islip

The Hicksville Long Island Rail Road station served as shelter for those who needed help escaping the brutal cold temperatures early Saturday morning.&nbsp;

News 12’s Virginia Huie stopped by the station waiting room to see how people escaped from the cold.

MORE:&nbsp; <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/guide-warming-centers-around-long-island">Guide: Warming centers around Long Island</a> <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/long-island-warming-centers-hope-to-bring-relief-for-those-without-a-home-amid-bitter-blast">Long Island warming centers hope to bring relief for those without a home amid bitter blast</a>

The Hicksville Long Island Rail Road station served as shelter for those who needed help escaping the brutal cold temperatures early Saturday morning.

People seek shelter from brutal cold at Hicksville LIRR station

The Baldwin High School varsity basketball team gave a special needs senior the change to play in a game on Friday night.

A loud, packed gym cheered as Joe Gonzalez took to the court in the fourth quarter.

"As soon as I got into the game, I said, 'Listen, this was my moment,'" Gonzalez says.

The 17-year-old made three baskets - scoring a total of six points.

Gonzalez managed the boys' varsity basketball teams for two years, but it has always been a dream for him to play on the court.

During Thursday's practice, head coach Darius Burton surprised Gonzalez with a jersey, telling him he was going to play in the game.

"This is his dream, he texted me last night, 'Coach, you made my dream come true - I want to score a bucket for you - I want to do it for the guys," Burton says. "He thanked me - he's just a great kid."

The Baldwin Bruins also won the game 78 to 43 thanks in part to Gonzalez.

Despite his stellar debut, Gonzalez says he's more excited to go for his dreams of becoming a coach.

Joe Gonzalez managed the boys' varsity basketball teams for two years, but it has always been a dream for him to play on the court.  

'This is his dream.' Special needs student gets his shot on the court for Baldwin's varsity basketball team 

A well-known Lake Ronkonkoma pizzeria has been sold after nearly three decades in business.

The owners of Albert's Pizzeria have sold the business that is known for its upside-down slice, where the cheese is under the sauce and crust.

News 12 is told the new owners plan to continue the business with the same name and staff.

Albert's Pizzeria has also been known for its pay-it-forward campaign to help members of the struggling community financially.

Albert's Pizzeria owners sell Lake Ronkonkoma restaurant after nearly 30 years in business

Warming centers are open across Long Island as dangerously cold temperatures and strong winds are making it hard for people to stay outside.

A warming center at Mitchell Field in Uniondale is open 24 hours a day. There are several others across the Island there are also open to keep people safe.

<a href="https://longisland.news12.com/guide-warming-centers-around-long-island">Guide: Warming centers around Long Island</a>

The Metropolitain Transportation Authority is leaving waiting rooms open throughout the night so people without a place to stay can go inside to get warm.

News 12 spoke with one person who said she was hoping to stay at a relative's home for the night.

"My concern is to get me some shelter, to where I won't be out in the cold tonight," says Cindy. "That's my main concern, but it's hard out here. You don't find nothing out here."

The INN, a soup kitchen in Hempstead, also had extended hours Friday to serve warm meals to hundreds of guests. After they finished their food, each person was asked if they had a place to stay.

"We're also doing an assessment of everyone who's coming in and doubly asking them, 'Are you OK, are you safe for the weekend? Do you have enough heat where you live,'" says The Inn Executive Director Jean Kelly.

If you or someone you know is out in the cold and does not have a place to stay, call 911 and first responders will help you find a shelter.

Police in both Nassau and Suffolk county have been instructed to be on the lookout for people who may need help and offer to bring them to either a shelter or a warming center.

The Metropolitain Transportation Authority is leaving waiting rooms open throughout the night so people without a place to stay can go inside to get warm.  

Long Island warming centers hope to bring relief for those without a home amid bitter blast  

Some educators are sounding the alarm about Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed budget and the impact it could have on programs they offer for deaf, blind and disabled children.

The 4201 Schools Association Chair Dr. Bernadette Kappen says that their funding is significantly less than last year in the governor's budget.

"To have our $2 million not present in the budget, it is really troublesome," Kappen says.

A spokesperson for Hochul's office released a statement saying, "Gov. Hochul allocated approximately $144 million in total public funding for the 11 private 4201 Schools that serve students who are deaf, blind and disabled, equaling roughly $120,000 per pupil."

The schools are unique to serve children with special needs because they are equipped with a full medical suite. Students are fed with feeding tubes or even get oxygen if it is needed during the school day.

"We are able to be in a setting where all of our needs are met," says Jocelene Ramnanan, a senior at the Henry Viscardi School.

The school says it would have to cut programs if there is less allocated in the budget.

Henry Viscardi School head Angelo Zegarelli says they hope the governor will reconsider the funding provided in the current proposed budget.

The 4201 schools are traveling to Albany on Monday for an advocacy day. They are hoping Hochul will consider putting the $2 million back into the budget for their schools.

Leaders of 4201 Schools Association urge Gov. Hochul to provide more funding for special-needs schools

The New York State Nurses Association says nurses have voted to authorize a strike at South Shore University Hospital Northwell Health.

The union says nurses have been in negotiations with the hospital since their contract expired on Feb. 28, 2022.

The authorization allows union leaders to provide a 10-day notice to strike, the union says.

"We do not take striking lightly, and many of our members never thought it would come to this. But after months of negotiations, Northwell is still unwilling to listen to the nurses and deliver a contract that will help staff this hospital safely to deliver the care our community deserves," says Chrysse Blau, NYSNA local president at South Shore University Hospital. "Next week we head back to the bargaining table and will continue to negotiate in good faith for a fair contract that ensures safe staffing. We don't want to strike, but we will if Northwell gives us no choice."

Arielle Shea, a registered nurse at South Shore University Hospital, says their biggest concern is the patients.

"You can increase our wages but without being able to care for our patients safely, that doesn't really do anything for us," Shea says. "We need to be able to care for them in the best way possible that doesn't put our licenses at risk."

Miriam Sholder, Northwell Health public relations advisor for the eastern region, told News 12, "South Shore University Hospital is aware of the strike vote. We remain optimistic that an agreement can be reached and look forward to positive and productive negotiations next week. We are proud of the longstanding excellent care our dedicated nursing team provides and that our patients and community have come to trust."

The New York State Nurses Association says nurses have been in negotiations with the hospital since their contract expired on Feb. 28, 2022.

Nurses vote to authorize strike at Northwell South Shore University Hospital  

Frostbite is a major concern as dangerously cold temperatures hit the tri-state area.

News 12 Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Addison Green says early warning signs of frostbite are your fingers and the tip of your nose feeling numb.

He says that means that part of your body could be getting too cold and not getting good enough blood flow.

Green says there is a difference between some of the early signs of frostbite and when hospitalization would be required.

Sometimes, people just need to warm back up by going inside until the symptoms resolve.

But Green says if you notice that your skin stays white, you can't feel it and then the pain gets severe, it's time to seek care.

There is still potential for snow, slush and ice this season.

On Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., News 12 shows you how to stay safe and winter weather ready.