Police Arrest Suspect; Could Face Time in Prison
A Sewanhaka High School student was robbed and beaten on his way home from school on Thursday, Feb. 4 shortly before 3 p.m., reported Fifth Squad Detectives.
The victim, a 16-year-old male, was walking eastbound on Tulip Ave. just past Covert Ave., texting on his cell phone, when a male ran up from behind him. Police said that the defendant, Adderli Matos-Perez, 18, of Elmont, grabbed at the victim’s cell phone and began to struggle with him. According to police, Matos-Perez proceeded to punch the victim, knocking him to the ground and then grabbed the victim’s cell phone out of his hand. Then the defendant ran away towards Argyle Rd., where he hopped over a fence, police said.
Soon after this robbery took place, police arrested Matos-Perez and charged him with Robbery 2nd Degree. He was apprehended by an officer on Hempstead Turnpike and Hill Avenue in Elmont. Since the defendant is 18 years old, he is charged with a C Felony, which could mean three and a half to 15 years in prison.
Stealing cell phones is a common type of crime throughout the country. In this case, the victim’s cell phone was a T-Mobile Sidekick – the most popular stolen phone, according to police and numerous reports across the country. The victim was texting on his phone, which is how the suspect knew the type of phone he was carrying. Police said that there have been efforts throughout the nation to crack down on stores that resell stolen phones.
