A string of gas station robberies has New Hyde Park officials asking for more open communication lines between municipalities and the Nassau County Police Department. Since Dec.
20, 2014, 12 gas stations, including one in New Hyde Park, have been robbed by a masked gunman, with a Jericho incident resulting in a murder, police said. Authorities say 10 robberies in Westbury, Jericho and Hicksville were perpetrated by the same suspect, while two in New Hyde Park in Thomaston are not related.
“We sit here as a mayor and a board of trustees and we don’t know that gunfire happened in the village,” Mayor Robert Lofaro said. “That I have to find out on the news that this occurred is unsettling.”
In New Hyde Park on Jan. 26 at 5:45 p.m, a man entered a BP Gas Station on Jericho Turnpike and fired shots into the counter, demanding money, police said. At 6:20 p.m., a suspect fitting the description of the village shooter robbed a BP station in Thomaston after firing a bullet into a wall.
Police described the suspect as white, possibly Hispanic, with a stocky build, standing 5-foot-8 inches tall and wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt. Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information on these crimes.
“In the [New Hyde Park and Thomaston] pattern, he’s more heavy set,” Acting NCPD Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said. “[He] appears to [have] a semi-auto handgun, as opposed to the revolver in [the other robberies].”
A shooting at a Jericho gas station left attendant Hany Awad dead and robberies in two other towns have police offering $10,000 for a lead on the suspect. Authorities say a gunman confronted victims at all gas station locations demanding cash. This subject, police say, stole Newport cigarettes at these spots.
“I have to admit, I was very disappointed when I heard of the tragedy of the news in Jericho when a gas station attendant was shot and killed,” Lofaro said. “We tried to find out if they had any connections to the robberies that happened in Thomaston and New Hyde Park.”
Police described the suspect in the 10 robberies as a black male, 5-foot-11-to 6-feet-tall, between 20-25 years old. He has a thin build and wore all black Nike clothing, a black mask, gloves and sneakers with red laces.
“We’ve contacted all the gas stations within that pattern area,” Krumpter said. “We have significantly increased patrols in the area that is being targeted and have a very aggressive investigation.”
Lofaro sat on a focus group in January, consisting of elected officials with a police-hired firm to discuss NCPD service. His main issue for New Hyde Park was the removal of the
Problem Oriented Police Program (POP). Resident Nick Mosesso was the POP officer for the area.
“The feedback was generally good, but we felt the removal of the POP office was not in the best interest of the community,” Lofaro said. “This is the feeling that I get from residents.
The POP officer is the face of the NCPD for many of the residents.”
The POP officer serves as the “official” face of the NCPD for local communities; a position Mosesso held with great skill.
“From a connectivity perspective, Nick made that contact between the village and the police department,” Lofaro said.
