Crime & Safety

Crimes Nearby: Officer Assault, Robberies and Cocaine

A look at crimes in the towns surrounding Mineola.

The following arrest information was supplied by several local police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate convictions. 

Mineola

A missing Mineola man who had a was found Friday . Firefighters were called to the scene to help rescue the man.

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Floral Park

Police apprehended two suspects after a pursuit on Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park. No further information is available. 

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Westbury

A Queens man was arrested for reckless endangerment on June 17 at 3:12 a.m. in Old Westbury. According to police, Michael Contreras, 27, of Jamaica was traveling in his 1998 Honda Accord westbound on the Long Island Expressway in excess of 97 miles per hour according to laser radar. The defendant then stopped his vehicle in the center lane for a moment causing other vehicles to change lanes to avoid hitting his car. Contreras then continued to drive west when a police officer from the highway patrol stopped his vehicle. During the investigation it was discovered that the vehicle had a forged inspection sticker. Contreras was placed under arrest and transported to Central Testing where he was given a breathalyzer test that registered a .12 percent BAC. Contreras is charged with first degree reckless endangerment, second degree possession of a forged instrument, reckless driving, DWI, fictitious inspection sticker and multiple vehicle and traffic law violations. He was arraigned on June 17at First District court in Hempstead.

An overturned auto was reported near exit 31 on the eastbound side of the Northern State Parkway on June 18 at 1:08 a.m. Police on scene reported no injuries or entrapment.

A burglary occurred at a Westbury home on June 18 at 1:12 am in Westbury. According to detectives, the owner of East West, a sneaker and apparel store at 463 Old Country Road, received a phone call from his alarm company notifying him of a glass breaking at the business. The police were notified, but the subjects fled the scene before arrival. Upon viewing video surveillance from the store, detectives observed four unknown males, wearing hooded sweatshirts entering the store and removing assorted clothing and sneakers. The video also shows the males fleeing the scene on foot westbound on Old Country Road. Detectives request anyone with information regarding this crime to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

Police are searching for suspects who robbed a Radio Shack at 541 Old Country Road in Westbury on June 18 at 7:45 p.m. According to detectives, two dark skinned male blacks with thin builds in their late 20’s, wearing baseball caps, white gloves and sun glasses, entered the store and as they approached the two store employees, who were alone at the time, one subject produced a black revolver and ordered them into the store’s office. As they entered the office, the subjects ordered them to the floor and zip-tied the victims’ hands and feet together. The subjects then proceeded to remove an undetermined amount of iPhones, iPod Touches, Kindle Fires and Skull Candy head phones from the store inventory. During the robbery, three customers entered the store and at gunpoint each was ordered into the office, where the subjects removed their cell phones and cash from their pockets. Before leaving the store through the rear door, the subjects removed an additional quantity of prepaid cell phones. No injuries were sustained during the robbery. Detectives request anyone with information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported at Hillside Avenue and Glen Cove Road in Old Westbury on June 22 at 5:03 p.m. The Westbury and Old Westbury Fire Departments responded to the scene.

Old Westbury detectives arrested a man for grand larceny that occurred in Westbury on June 22, 2012 at 9:35 a.m.

According to detectives, Jerry Hauser, 55, was introduced to the victim through a local real estate agency the victim had retained to assist with the rental of an Old Westbury residence. After conducting protracted negotiations with the victim and a representative of the real estate agency, Hauser intentionally gave the victim several checks to cover rental payments and the security deposit for the property knowing that the accounts had been closed. In addition Hauser also made arrangements to sell a vehicle for the victim and after obtaining the title for the vehicle from the victim he sold it to a third party. Hauser then kept the proceeds from the sale and intentionally presented additional fraudulent checks to the victim for payment. The investigation is continuing and detectives are requesting anyone who may have been a victim of a similar scheme by Hauser to contact the police.  Hauser is being charged third degree grand larceny, first degree scheme to defraud, first degree falsifying business records, second degree criminal trespass and three counts of issuing a bad check. He was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on June 23.

Carle Place

Live wires were reported down at Rushmore Avenue and Roslyn Avenue on June 22 at 2:26 p.m. The fire department arrived on the scene and also observed a large tree had fallen and requested LIPA crews to the location.

Hicksville

A Wading River man was arrested for an assault on a police officer that occurred on June 16, 2012 at 3:57 pm in Hicksville. According to officers, Charles Cimino, 43, was observed by the arresting officer running from the Sears store, followed by a store loss prevention agent. Cimino, who allegedly stole a Sony home theatre receiver, ran across Broadway into the parking lot of the Broadway Mall. The arresting officer confronted the defendant, who after refusing to comply with the officers commands, flailed his arms in an attempt to evade arrest. After a struggle with Cimino, he was eventually placed into custody. During the encounter with the defendant, the arresting officer sustained a laceration injury to his finger, was transported to a local hospital and received four stitches to close the wound. Cimino is charged with second degree assault, petit larceny and an unrelated warrant charge from a Town of Hempstead Ordinance. He was arraigned on June 17 at First District Court in Hempstead.

A Euston Road resident was the victim of identity theft on June 13. Garden City detectives are investigating $3,000 in fraudulent charges to the victim’s account.

Garden City detectives arrested a Garden City man, 30, on June 14 for possession of a controlled substance after observing the subject sitting in his vehicle in Parking Field 9E, attempting to light a pipe containing crack/cocaine.

At approximately 4 p.m. on June 16, Garden City officers observed a vehicle backing unsafely north on Meadow Street in violation of one-way signs and with its headlights off. Upon an investigation, the driver, a 23-year-old man from Hempstead, was arrested for DWI drugs, DWI (refused testing), felony possession of cocaine for possessing several bags of cocaine and crack/cocaine, unlawful possession of marijuana, driving the wrong way, unsafe backing, no headlights and uninsured operation.

A burglary was reported at a property on Broadway Street in West Hempstead on June 15.

Property was stolen from two vehicles parked in West Hempstead, one on on Marlborough Road and the other on Baldwin Road, between June 13 and June 15.

An unknown person spray-painted a PVC fence at a property located on Locust Street in West Hempstead.


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