Police: Four Men Planned to Burglarize Damaged Stores

Four men were arrested in East Garden City Tuesday morning after allegedly planning to burglarize stores that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

A routine traffic stop on Zeckendorf Boulevard around 12:40 a.m. yielded multiple burglary tools and a bag of marijuana, police said. During the investigation, police found screwdrivers, a hammer and a flashlight on the floor of the vehicle.

According to police, James Bumpass, 24, of Hempstead, had a second screwdriver in his front pants pocket. Shaquille Bumpass, 20, also of Hempstead, had a pillow case hidden inside his sweatshirt.

A police investigation revealed the two defendants, along with 17-year-olds Jahseek Burgess and Tajmel Reid-Jacobs, both of Bay Shore, were looking to burglarize stores that had suffered damage during Hurricane Sandy.

Police say the defendants entered only one store, Expressions, located at 185 Main St. in Hempstead, which had damage to the front door. They entered the store, but fled when the alarm sounded. There was no loss of proceeds reported.

Shaquille and James Bumpass are both charged with burglary in the third degree, possessions of burglars tools, conspiracy to commit a crime in the fifth degree and criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree.

Reid-Jacobs is charged with possessions of burglars tools and conspiracy to commit a crime, along with multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.

Burgess is charged with possessions of burglars tools, conspiracy to commit a crime in the fifth degree and criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree.

All defendants were arraigned on Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead.