Crime & Safety

Crimes Nearby: Distraction Burglaries, Christmas DWI

A rundown of incidents that occurred in the past two weeks in areas surrounding the Five Towns.

Two black male subjects, one wearing a ski mask, the other a New York Rangers hooded sweatshirt, robbed two men in West Hempstead the night of Dec. 28.

According to police, the 26-year-old victims were in the parking lot of 329 Hempstead Turnpike around 11 p.m. when they were approached by the robbers, who displayed handguns.

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One suspect went through the first victim's pockets and took keys and a cell phone, police said. He then removed a gold chain from the man's neck. The second robber did the same to the other victim, taking his wallet and gold chain too, police said.

According to police, the suspects then fled westbound on Hempstead Turnpike in a silver sedan, possibly a Toyota.

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No injuries were reported and no further description was given.

An East Rockaway man was robbed at gunpoint in his own garage the morning of Dec. 28.

According to Nassau County detectives, around 10 a.m., a 76-year-old man was in the garage of his residence on Cail Drive when an unknown white male suspect entered the garage through an open door and displayed a handgun.

The suspect removed an unknown amount of money from the homeowner’s wallet and fled the scene on foot eastbound toward Emmet Avenue, police said. The suspect is described as having a beard and wearing a black hat with a brim, a black waist-length coat and light pants.

No injuries were reported.

A West Hempstead man was arrested Christmas morning for driving while intoxicated after allegedly driving 10 miles in the wrong direction on the Northern State Parkway.

According to New York State Police, at 5:12 a.m., troopers were dispatched to a report of a wrong-way driver on the Northern State Parkway east of Glen Cove Road.

The vehicle operator, Raymond Hulsman, 35, of West Hempstead, was arrested for DWI. Hulsman allegedly caused two accidents before troopers were able to stop the vehicle near exit 40, police said.

According to police, both accidents that Hulsman caused were single-car accidents into the cement median, while attempting to avoid being struck by the defendant's vehicle. The operator of one of the vehicles that Hulsman ran off the roadway was treated for back pain at Winthrop Hospital.

Hulsman's breath sample showed a blood alcohol content of .15 percent.

A pair of burglars lured an elderly West Hempstead man outside of his home on Dec. 23 and then stole cash and other items from his residence, cops said.

Nassau County detectives said the 81-year-old victim was inside his home when he heard a knock on a window around 11 a.m. When he opened the front door, he was approached by a Hispanic woman and also noticed a Hispanic man sitting in a red compact, possibly foreign, car parked in the street with an unknown Florida registration plate.

While the woman distracted him, asking him to walk outside away from the front door, police said someone else entered the home and removed an unknown about of money and property. The woman was last seen walking south on South Cherry Valley Avenue toward the red car.

Police are searching for both suspects. The woman is described as Hispanic, 5 foot 6 inches, medium-build with a noticeable lazy or drooping eye. She was wearing a wool hat and dark clothing.

A Malverne home was burglarized on Dec. 20 while the owner was still home by a pair that used a diversion scheme.

According to the Malverne Police, two subjects, a man and woman, came to the front door of a home on Nottingham Road just before noon. The homeowner opened the door and spoke to the subjects, bringing one of them to the rear of the house.

While the owner was distracted at the back of the house, the other subject reportedly entered through the front door and stole items from the home, Lt. Stan Kid of the Malverne Police told Patch. The twosome then fled the scene.

An overnight nurse from East Rockaway allegedly stole rectal syringes containing Diazapam and got high while charged with protecting developmentally disabled adults, Nassau County detectives said on Dec. 23.

Theresa Pawlowski, 57, of East Rockaway, is charged with reckless endangerment and grand larceny in connection with the theft of numerous rectal suppository syringes containing Diastat, a Diazapam gel from locked cabinets.

Pawlowski was employed as a registered nurse at the AHRC on 980 Washington Ave. in Plainview. The center cares for adults with mentally disabled persons.

Detectives said Pawlowski administered the drug to herself while she was on duty as an overnight nurse in charge of developmentally disabled adults with severe medical needs.

A Brooklyn man has been arrested for operating a loan-modification company that allegedly stole $11,000 from a Lynbrook woman.

Nassau's Crimes Against Property Squad arrested Ryan Visda, 30. Police said that Visda operated a loan company known as National Recovery Processing, and claimed to modify the victims existing home loan, but never submitted any paper work to any legitimate banking agency pertaining to the mortgage.

Visda then continued to collect checks from the victim and deposit them in his personal business account, police said.


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