Crimes Nearby: Man Arrested for December Armed Robbery

The following information was supplied by the Nassau County Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department and Garden City Police Department. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate guilt.

A Queens man was arrested Wednesday for the December robbery of a Franklin Square dollar store.

According to Nassau County detectives, on the evening of Dec. 27, two male suspects wearing masks and gloves entered the Dollar Store, located at 984 Hempstead Turnpike.

One of the suspects displayed a handgun while the other took an undisclosed amount of cash and a cell phone, police said. They were last seen eastbound on Hempstead Turnpike, possibly in a red Chevrolet Avalanche.

There were three employees in the store at the time of the robbery, but no injuries were reported, police said.

Mark Griffin, 46, of Springfield Gardens, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the above robbery. An investigation by detectives determined that Griffin was the owner/operator of the vehicle involved in the robbery, police said.

Griffin was charged with robbery in the first degree and was arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Nassau County Police are continuing their investigation of the robbery.

Arrests

• On March 9 at 5:26 a.m., Jere H. McLean, 27, of Georgia, was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree and vehicle and traffic law violations following an investigation by police personnel in the vicinity of Sunrise Highway and N. Forest Avenue in Rockville Centre.
• On March 9 at 3:49 a.m., Harsh Pandya, 22, of Freeport, was arrested for disorderly conduct following an investigation by police personnel in the vicinity of Merrick Road in Rockville Centre.
• On March 9 at 3:49 a.m., Patrick Ambroise Isidore, 22, of Freeport, was arrested for disorderly conduct following an investigation by police personnel in the vicinity of Merrick Road and S. Park Avenue in Rockville Centre.
• On March 13 at 3:47 p.m., Fredi V. Saltos, 38, of Valley Stream was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operator in the second degree vehicle and traffic law violations following an investigation by police personnel in the vicinity of N. Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre. 
• On March 13 at 7:51 p.m., Joseph Coulon, 54, of Rockville Centre, was arrested for reckless endangerment in the first degree, possession of a dangerous weapon in the fourth degree and endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation by police personnel at his residence. Click here to read more about this arrest.
• On March 13, a Garden City police officer was assigned to traffic enforcement on Rockaway Avenue in the vicinity of Garden City High School when he stopped a 24-year-old male from Freeport for speeding in a school zone (50 MPH in a 20 MPH zone). He was subsequently arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation due to 20 open license suspensions, unlicensed operation, speeding in a school zone and excessive tinted windows.
• On March 14 at 12:48 a.m., Peter J. Diaz, 27, of Long Beach was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operator in the second degree, unlawful possession of marijuana and vehicle and traffic law violations following an investigation by police personnel in the vicinity of Sunrise Highway and Morris Avenue in Rockville Centre.
• On March 14, a Garden City police officer observed a 19-year-old male from Mastic driving his vehicle northbound on Clinton Road when he made an illegal right turn from the left lane onto Meadow Street. The driver then drove on the wrong side of Meadow Street and passed a stop sign. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was subsequently arrested for DWI (.10 percent blood alcohol content), unsafe turn, failing to signal turn, driving on the wrong side of the road, unlicensed operation and passing a stop sign.
• On March 15, a Garden City police officer stopped a commercial vehicle on Clinton Road at Locust Street for numerous equipment violations. The driver, a 57-year-old male from Hicksville, was arrested after it was determined that he had six open driver's license suspensions. He was also charged with 12 equipment violations including a defective muffler, no rear detection system, three unsafe tires, a defective emergency brake and defective/missing lights and reflectors.
• On March 16, a Garden City police officer arrested a 23-year-old male from Freeport on Clinton Road for DWI (.12 percent blood alcohol content), aggravated unlicensed operation due to a suspended license, tailgating, unsafe lane usage and uninsured operation.
• On March 17, a Garden City police officer observed a vehicle westbound on Meadow Street go around a vehicle stopped at a red light at Clinton Road and continue traveling west at 45 MPH. The vehicle was stopped and the driver, a 41-year-old male from Hempstead, was arrested for felony DWI due to a prior DWI arrest, felony aggravated license due to his license being suspended for a prior DWI, passing a red light, two lane violations, speeding and driving without a court ordered interlock system.
• On March 18, a Garden City police officer stopped a 41-year-old male from Glen Cove for numerous traffic infractions on Clinton Road and Pine Street. The subject was arrested for aggravated DWI (.19 percent blood alcohol content), passing a stop sign, unsafe turn, two lane violations, unlicensed operation and uninsured operation.

Assault

• On March 10 at 4:36 a.m., a complainant from Hempstead Avenue in Rockville Centre reported that an unknown person pushed him into a window at the Starbucks located at 21 N. Park Ave. in Rockville Centre, resulting in lacerations requiring medical attention.

Graffiti

• On March 9 at 10:54 a.m., a complainant from Massapequa reported that sometime between 8 p.m. on March 8 and 10:30 a.m. on March 9, unknown person(s) placed graffiti on three motor vehicles parked at Artison Construction, located at 220 Maple Ave. in Rockville Centre causing damage.

Investigation

• On March 10 at 3:15 p.m., a complainant from Morris Avenue in Rockville Centre reported that unknown person(s) sent a suspicious package containing an unknown brown powdery substance to W. Palm Beach, Fla., that was returned to his Morris Avenue home without authorization.

Larceny

• On March 7 at 7:55 a.m., a complainant from South Hempstead reported that on sometime between 3 and 4:30 p.m. on March 6, unknown person(s) damaged his locker at South Side High School, located at 140 Shepherd St. in Rockville Centre and stole $25 and an iPod Touch valued at $250.
• On March 7 at 7:33 p.m., a complainant from New Hyde Park reported that an unknown male stole approximately $200 in assorted lottery tickets from Sultan Convenience Store, located at 165 Maple Ave. Rockville Centre, and fled on foot northbound on N. Forest Avenue.
• On March 11 at 10 p.m., a complainant from Rockville Centre reported that sometime between 7:30 and 9 p.m., unknown person(s) stole a wallet containing credit cards and personal paperwork from his unlocked 2013 Jeep motor vehicle while it was parked in the Saint Agnes Cathedral parking lot on Quealy Place in Rockville Centre.
• On March 10 at 10:49 p.m., a complainant from Grand Avenue in Rockville Centre reported that sometime between 6 p.m. on March 8 and 6 p.m. on March 10, unknown person(s) stole an iPod Touch valued at $300 from his unlocked motor vehicle while it was parked in the driveway.