Distraction Burglars Strike Again, 7^th Time in 3 Weeks

An elderly Massapequa Park resident became second person in the area to have their home burglarized after being distracted by one of the burglars on Tuesday. The 81-year-old victim answered a knock at his door just after midnight from a woman claiming to have just moved into the neighborhood. The women expressed an interested in constructing a fence that would border the victims property and convinced him to follow her into the backyard. While there, the elderly man became suspicious and went back inside his home and watched as the woman got into a gray or blue car that had out of state license plates with an unidentified man. The victim called the police after determining that jewelry had been stolen. The woman is described as being Hispanic or possibly a light skinned black, in her twenties, with a medium a build and approximately 5’8” tall. She was seen wearing a knit hat, black jacket, blue jeans and black boots. The man was wearing a suit jacket. This is not the first time an elderly person has been lured from their home only to find it burglarized later. Just prior to Tuesday night’s incident, there was an attempted burglary in Merrick and earlier this month another Massapequa home was stolen from using the same deception and distraction tactics. Police feel that the burglaries are connected and have issued a crime alert.

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Vandalism in Farmingdale Cemetery

Numerous gravesites in the St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale have been burglarized as of. Since August, thieves have been stealing the bronze vases throughout the cemetery and it suspected that they are being melted down to sell the metal. Each vase is worth about $500 and dozens have been stolen from a number of graves. Kathy Peranzo says he son’s grave has been stolen from time after time. Visiting the site, Peranzo and her husband have found vases missing and flowers strewn about the grave. “Leave my son alone,” she says, “He’s trying to rest in peace and we’re in hell over and over and over again.” Cemetery workers report that it is the same small area inside the cemetery that continues to be burglarized. Police will be stepping up patrols in the area.

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Middle Island King Kullen Sells Winning Lottery Ticket, Again

For the second time in two years, the King Kullen Supermarket in Middle Island is responsible for selling the jackpot lottery ticket and this time it’s worth $206 million. The pot is a Suffolk County record and came almost two years to the day that a $1 million scratch off ticket was sold at the same store. Lois Meyes, who has worked in the store for 15 years, has no doubt she is the clerk who sold the winning ticket as she sold the bulk of the tickets that were purchased on Monday for the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing. Three other New Yorkers picked the first five numbers – but not the Mega Ball – and won $250,000 each. The mega-millionaire has yet to come forward to claim their earnings, however. 

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NY Gas Stations Citied For Storm Gouging

The attorney general’s office has reached a settlement with a Farmingdale gas station accused of unfairly raising its prices during Tropical Storm Irene. Gulf gas station on Route 110 just south of Conklin Street raised its price for unleaded gas from $4.05 per gallon to $4.89 for two days. Owned by JW Station Corp., they will have to pay more than $3,000 in civil penalties and costs. A gas station in Yonkers pulled the same scam, raising its prices by nearly $1 and will be paying $7,500 in penalties and costs.

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Vandals Smash Menorah in Plainview

Nassau County police are investigating the vandalism of a menorah Monday night in Plainview. Burton Radish and his wife, Roslee, received the menorah, traditionally called Hanukkiah, as a gift 10 years ago from the synagogue where Roslee served as president for many years. It held sentimental to the family but all that remains now are broken gold-painted PVC pipes. “Someone has pulled it out of the ground and really impaled it in the ground,” Radish said. “They did a job on it.” The crime could not have been committed at a worst time as Radish had only just finished sitting shiva after the passing of Roslee. The couple had been married 47 years. It’s unknown why this crime took place. Radish feels that “whoever did this was in a rage for the Hanukkiah and what it represents, Judaism.” Radish continues, “or it may have been just drunken kids. I don’t know.” Eight Squad detectives ask that anyone with information about this incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

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