A man posing as a county worker conned an elderly couple last Tuesday afternoon to gain access to their North Bellmore home and stole jewelry inside, police said. This "distraction burglary" took place at a home on Carley Court at about 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. A man described to be in his 50s with a walkie-talkie on his belt and wearing a blue baseball cap with "county" on it approached an 88-year-old man who was in his garage, convincing the homeowner that he needed to go into his backyard to inspect a neighbor's fence, according to police. While he distracted the elderly man and his wife, another man who police believe was his cohort, entered their home and allegedly burglarized it, police said. When the 81-year wife became suspicious and demanded to see the subject's identification, the man told her he would go get it, but never came back. It was then that she went into her bedroom and discovered that the jewelry was missing, according to Nassau County Police. more

Police charged Leonidas Cotsifas, 50, of Bethpage with attempted murder and several other crimes on Thursday afternoon after he allegedly struck a 71-year-old man on the head with a paving stone in his Nassau Street home in Bellmore, critically injuring him. more