Police Nab Teens Responsible For Rash of Thefts From Vehicles

Commissioner Ernest Cipullo said Tuesday that police arrested "two teams of subjects" over the weekend that were responsible for numerous thefts from vehicles in Garden City and beyond.

According to police, on Saturday at approximately 1:36 a.m. an alert Meadow Street resident observed two subjects inside his vehicle, which was parked on the street, and notified police. The subjects fled the area when the complainant approached them, taking off with a pocketbook containing credit cards, $20 and other personal items, police said. Officers arrived at the scene and immediately began canvassing the area.

A short time later, Officers Wehr and Sansone interviewed two individuals who were walking along Washington Avenue. Information obtained from these interviews was turned over to Garden City detectives, who later determined that some of the property taken from the vehicle matched property that the two individuals had on their persons. A male 17-year-old and a male 18-year-old, both from Hempstead, were arrested for the larceny of the pocketbook.

Then on Monday at about 3 a.m., police said another alert homeowner, this time on Arthur Street, notified police when he observed two males trespassing on a neighbor's property.

Officers Wehr and Oswald observed the subjects upon arrival at the scene. Police said the subjects attempted to flee; officers were able to apprehend one subject, a male 18-year-old from Queens. The other subject fled the area.

Officers determined that the subjects drove to Garden City in a vehicle that was reported stolen from Queens. Officers recovered and impounded that vehicle. 

Garden City detectives then responded to the area and determined that there were numerous larcenies from vehicles on Arthur Street, Huntington Road, Westbury Road, Keenan Place and Wyatt Road.

It was further determined that the apprehended subject was in possession of property reported stolen from a Valley Stream location. Further, a vehicle was stolen from Wyatt Road, according to police.

Through their investigation, Garden City detectives determined that the apprehended subject along with the subject not yet apprehended were both responsible for the larcenies from the vehicles.

Upon finding out the identity of the second subject, detectives immediately responded to his Queens residence where the stolen vehicle was discovered. Along with New York Police Department units, detectives arrested the second subject, a male 17-year-old, at his residence.

Both teens were charged with 23 counts of larceny from vehicles in Garden City as well as a larceny from a vehicle in Valley Stream. The second subject was also charged with grand larceny of an auto.  

Commissioner Cipullo praised the officers and detectives involved in the case, but also noted that "these cases are great examples where alert homeowners were very instrumental in the apprehension of suspected criminals."