Cops: Man Charged in East Rockaway Robbery, Carjacking

Forensic evidence has cleared a Holtsville man and led to the arrest of another in connection with an East Rockaway robbery and carjacking in April, according to Nassau County Police.

Alexander Wachmyanin, 50, who has no known address, was charged with two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of grand larceny, and three counts of petit larceny, cops said.

The charges stem from an incident on April 22 at CVS, located at 488 Ocean Avenue.

At 3 p.m., Wachmyanin took several items from shelves at the pharmacy and tried to leave without paying, police said. The store’s manager and an employee confronted him and gave chase as he fled west on Prospect Avenue, cops said. CVS personnel caught him and, after a brief struggle, took back the stolen items, police said.

Wachmyanin escaped their grasp and continued fleeing down Prospect Avenue when he came across a woman getting into her running car, police said. He shoved her out of the way and jumped into the car as witnesses tried to pull him out, cops said.

To escape, Wachmyanin backed into the car behind him, drove up onto the victim’s lawn, and fled east on Prospect Avenue, police said.

Wachmyanin was arraigned Monday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Forensic evidence pointed to Wachmyanin and cleared David Melis, 59, of Holtsville, who was originally charged on April 22, officials said. Melis had been arrested for the crime after multiple witness identifications, cops said.

Photo via NCPD