Crime Watch

Two men charged in series of armed robberies

East Rockaway, Levittown man arrested for heists; ER businesses among the 18 counts

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The two men who police say robbed two East Rockaway businesses, Paul’s Dry Cleaners on Jan. 21 and Dairy Barn on Sept. 16, were arrested last Wednesday in Wantagh with connections to a slew of Long Island armed robberies.

David Jones, 37, of 20 Flint Rd., East Rockaway, and Michael Molinaro, 36, of 156 Noell St., Levittown, were charged with 18 counts of second-degree robbery.

On Feb. 6 at 8:35 p.m., the two men entered a Quick Pick Convenience Store at 2264 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh, and announced a robbery while displaying a handgun, according to police. After the 43-year-old female clerk handed over an undisclosed amount of money, the men fled the scene on foot. No injuries were reported.

A short time later, 7th Precinct police officers observed the two men in a 2012 Kia on Brookside Avenue in Wantagh, and placed them into custody without incident.

According to police, the series of robberies dates back to at least Sept. 16 when the two entered Gold Buyers Jewelry at 3259 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown, while armed with a handgun. Later in the day, the pair entered Dairy Barn on at 560 Atlantic Ave., East Rockaway, displaying a handgun. There were no injuries reported in both robberies and each time the pair fled with an undisclosed amount of cash

On Jan. 21, at 5:48 p.m., the men entered Paul’s Dry Cleaners at 432 Atlantic Ave. and demanded an undisclosed amount of money from a 45-year-old male victim. No one was injured during the robbery.

In total, police have connected Jones and Molinaro to nine robberies on Long Island.

According to police, the other robberies include:

Jan. 13 at 5:40 p.m., the pair entered the Mobil Gas Station at 579 Hempstead Tpke., West Hempstead, while displaying a handgun. They took an unknown amount of money from the register and fled on foot. Two male store employees were present during the robbery but were not injured.

The men entered the BP Gas Station at 1111 Hempstead Tpke., Franklin Square, on Jan. 14 at 5:10 p.m., while armed with a handgun. They removed an unknown amount of money from the register and also took money from a 47-year-old male victim’s pocket. They fled on foot and no injuries were reported.

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