Two people have been arrested after using a stolen vehicle to smash into a high-end Long Island sneaker store and swipe tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, according to a criminal complaint.
The Simplex NYC store in Wantagh was stocked full of limited edition sneakers and clothing when the alleged burglars struck over the holiday weekend. Security video from just before 5 a.m. Monday showed a grey BMW SUV pull up to the shop on Merrick Road, and then a minute later, smash into the front window.
Soon after, another SUV drove up to the scene, the criminal complaint stated. Four men ran into the store, grabbed whatever clothing and expensive sneakers they could and ran off, video showed. The suspects were seen carrying off Nike and Air Jordan boxes during the theft that went on for nearly eight minutes.
The men fled after spotting flashing police lights. One of the SUVs struck a police cruiser as the burglars were making their escape. The officer driving the cruiser was taken to Nassau University Medical Center after suffering neck pain as a result of the crash, according to the criminal complaint.
Police tracked one of the vehicles from the brazen heist to North Bellmore. That's where 19-year-old Christopher Flores and a 16-year-old boy were arrested. Flores, of Holbrook, was charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree possession of stolen property.
The criminal complaint stated that $50,000 in merchandise was stolen from the store.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
In addition to the theft at the Nassau County store, the criminal complaint said the BMW used in the burglary had been reported stolen from a Connecticut home on Jan. 6.
News
Police have not shared any information regarding additional arrests.
The same sneaker store was burglarized in the same manner on Saturday morning around the same time. Security video shows an SUV backing into the store and multiple people from it grabbing clothing. The store owner also confirmed to NBC New York he was first burglarized on Saturday morning.
When asked, Nassau Police say they have no record of the first incident on Saturday.
It was not immediately clear if that one was carried out by the same group of suspects as the Monday burglary.
The owner of Simplex NYC did not wish to speak to NBC New York on-camera. The store was emptied out by the owner after the burglary, and the front of it was boarded up on Tuesday.
Bail was set at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond for Flores, who is due back in court later in the week.
