Serial Gas Station Bandit Stalks Nassau

Story by Joe Dowd

Nassau County Police detectives are seeking leads in a string of dead-of-night gas station robberies this week by a robber they believe is the same gun-wielding man.

Three robberies took place in the 3-o'clock hour early Friday in a 20-minute period in Farmingdale, Hicksville and Levittown. They came one day to the hour that three gas stations were hit along Northern Boulevard in the Roslyn-Great Neck area Thursday by a man fitting the same description.

"Detectives believe this is part of a pattern of robberies," said Officer Steven Zacchia, a spokesman for the Nassau County Police.

Early Friday, a slim-built man described as black or Hispanic, 25-30 years old and about 5'7" and wearing a black hooded jacket, hit the USA Gas Station on Fulton Avenue in Farmingdale at 3:25 a.m. He demanding money, producing a black handgun and made off with cash.

Fifteen minutes later, the same suspect hit the Exxon Gas Station on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, a short distance by car, flashed a black handgun and demanded money, cigars and cigarettes. The merchant complied and the man fled on foot, police said.

Five minutes later, police reported the man entered a 7-11 Store located at 413 Jerusalem Ave., Hicksville. He showed the gun and again made off with money and cigarettes, police said.Police believe the gunman had been at it the night before.

Just 24-hours earlier and also between 3-4 a.m. police say a man fitting the same description right-down to the jacket attempted to hold up the Shell gas station on Mineola Avenue in Roslyn Heights. He then struck at the Mobil gas station in Flower Hill and the Mobil gas station in Great Neck. The attendant at the Roslyn Heights station refused the gunman's demands and the gunman fled.

No injuries were reported during any of the robberies.

And these six incidents in the last two days may not be the only ones perpetrated by the serial gas-station gunman.

Early Tuesday morning, two stations were hit by a man fitting a similar description. A BP Gas station in Garden City Park was robbed about 3:30 a.m. and a second station was struck in West Hempstead 30 minutes later about four miles away. In both cases, the man demanded money and cigarettes.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding these crimes to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous, police said.