Local man charged in Hempstead burglaries

A Valley Stream man was arrested on Friday and charged with burglarizing a restaurant in Hempstead — for the fourth time, according to police.

Hempstead police officers responded to an alarm at New Shing Wong Kitchen, at 133 East Fulton Avenue, shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 4. They determined that someone had broken a front window of the restaurant, entered and stolen an undetermined amount of cash. They reviewed security footage that showed a man they believed to be the suspect, and they broadcast his description to other units.

A short time later, Donald Joseph Smith, 55, of Emerson Place in Valley Stream, was seen standing in front of 173 Fulton Avenue. He was arrested without incident, and proceeds from the restaurant were recovered.

After an investigation, Smith was charged with three other burglaries at the restaurant that occurred on Sept. 17, Nov. 21 and Nov. 25.

Smith was charged with four counts of third-degree burglary. He was held pending an arraignment at First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday.