Three nabbed in alleged theft

An alert security guard foiled what police say was an attempt to steal a stainless steel cart from King Kullen in Rockville Centre on Sept. 23.

According to detectives, a security guard at the King Kullen supermarket at 127 Sunrise Highway, saw Christopher Smith, 28 and Dana Karl, 22, both of Howard Beach, and Robert Tschuschke, 41, of Ozone Park, removing a stainless steel grocery rack from the back of the store and loading it into a rental truck.

Noticing that they had attracted the security guard's attention, police say the three fled quickly in the truck. The guard called 911, and the truck was pulled over by a Lynbrook police officer on Sunrise Highway, where the three were arrested.

An investigation led to the recovery of 21 steel carts from the rental truck, valued at $22,800. Police also found receipts in the truck that led them to a Brooklyn scrap metal dealer, from which another 150 stolen milk/grocery carts were found. Tuscan Farms, the owner of the carts, valued them at about $180,000.

The three defendants were charged with one count each of criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny.