Long Island police arrested eight men they said are responsible for a series of residential and commercial robberies in Nassau County.
Four of the men are from Colombia and police say they were arrested Wednesday after they tried unsuccessfully to break into a house in Lake Success.
“They actually didn’t get in which is amazing,” said homeowner Jennifer Weber. “The police said when they heard the alarm they ran.”
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Weber and her family were not home at the time when burglars broke her back window to try and gain access. She says the Lake Success police quickly arrested the crew. It did not take long for Nassau County detectives to link them to six other home burglaries in Manhasset, Herricks, Mineola, Jericho and Plainview.
“They allegedly broke into a home in Herricks and stole $6,000 cash and credit cards. On December 18, he broke into a Jericho home and stole $20,000 in cash, $15,000 in jewelry and attempted to break into another home in the neighborhood,” explained Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Nassau County police placed the items they were able to recover on full display — jewelry, watches, sports memorabilia and a gun.
“In the last five years or so we have seen an increase in pattern burglary crews that originate in South America, said Donnelly.
Police also announced the arrest of four other men, all from Venezuela, for stealing nearly $13,000 worth of items from the Macy’s store in Roosevelt Field on Jan. 9.
All eight men, police said, had within the past year entered the country at the border as asylum seekers. Commissioner Patrick Ryder of the Nassau County Police believes they are part of a larger crime syndicate.
“These are ongoing organized theft groups that are being sent up here for the purpose to commit crimes here knowing if you’re caught,” said Commissioner Ryder. “And you get out go back to where you came from and they send up a new crew.”
While Weber feels lucky her alarm system did its job, she is still shoring up security at her house because of this unsettling incident
“Alarms are key they are so important because a lot of people have alarms but they don’t set them,” said Weber. “Wherever you go make sure your alarms on.”
