By JUDY RATTNER
According to police, a small, dark vehicle, possibly a Honda Civic or Accord, with four black men inside stopped near the pedestrian. One subject, described as 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds and wearing a dark shirt and jeans, jumped out and demanded money from the victim. The subject pushed the victim and the victim pushed him back.
At that point, a second subject of about the same description got out of the car and pulled out a black handgun, police said. The victim ran east on Hamilton Street, and watched the car take off in the opposite direction. There were no injuries reported, and no money was stolen.
A number of other robberies and attempted robberies - involving weapons or the threat of their use - have been reported by village police in recent weeks. "We are taking these incidents very seriously," Police Commissioner Jack McKeon said in a statement released on Monday, "and devoting all our resources, together with resources from the Nassau County police, to apprehend all those involved."
The police are investigating other recent crimes that may be part of a pattern. On Nov. 22, a group of 16-year-old boys told police that they were accosted by three men on Cornwell Street near North Village Avenue just before 10 p.m. The subjects told the boys they would "pop them" if they didn't empty their pockets. The boys handed over a total of $13 and were not injured in the incident, police said. One subject was described as about 5 feet 9 with a husky build, and was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. The other two were about 5 feet 11, had medium builds and were wearing black jackets and black head scarves.
About a half hour earlier the same night, another teenager told police he had been walking on Berkshire Road with six friends when he was threatened by two men with a knife. One of the subjects told the teen that if he wanted to live, he had to give him what was in his pocket, police said. The victim gave the man his wallet. No injuries were reported, and the robbers were described as about 17 or 18, 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall, with black bandannas covering their faces.
On Nov. 27, a 25-year-old woman told police that she had been surrounded by four or five men in a parking lot on North Village Avenue who demanded her purse and valuables. One subject lunged at her, according to the police report, and she screamed and ran toward the HomeGoods store. The woman was not hurt, and reported that nothing was stolen. The subject who lunged at her was described as about 16, 5 feet 9 and 150 pounds, and was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and a face mask.
On Dec. 11, a 26-year-old man reported that he had been attacked from behind at 6 p.m. as he walked north on Morris Avenue near Dartmouth Street. The man said he was pushed to the ground and kicked, but he fought back and chased his attackers, who fled south on Morris Avenue and jumped into a small car that was waiting on Marvin Avenue. The man's iPod was stolen, and he suffered minor cuts and bruises in the attack. Police said the subjects in that attack were described as between 17 and 19 and 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 8. One was wearing a puffy dark coat with a fur-lined hood.
In what may be a related incident, two employees of TGI Friday on Sunrise Highway reported being robbed as they left the restaurant at 2 a.m. on Nov. 14. They were approached by two men in their early 20s, both described as 5 feet 10 and weighing 175 to 185 pounds, according to police. One was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants, and had a goatee. They reportedly brandished a black semiautomatic handgun, but no money was taken and no injuries were reported.
Rena Riback, a village resident said, "Of course I'm concerned. I've been living in Rockville Centre for over 20 years and for the first time I find myself looking over my shoulder. Perhaps that's naive of me, but up until recently I always felt safe and that we always looked out for each other. Unfortunately now that my children are at an age where they're looking for increased independence, I find myself having to curtail their freedom."
Two armed robberies occurred in homes in the village during recent weeks as well. On Nov. 22, at 4:20 p.m., police said, a 74-year-old man was robbed when two men entered his apartment on North Centre Avenue through an open front door. They were described as black, in their 20s, about 5 feet 5 and 150 pounds, and were wearing black pullover wool masks that covered their faces. They pointed a black and silver handgun at the resident and forced him into a bathroom as they searched the apartment and stole cash, a cell phone, some jewelry and the victim's home telephone receiver, according to police. No injuries were reported.
Just over a week later, at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, a 25-year-old man was robbed in his home on South Village Avenue, police said. Five men, one armed with a crowbar, pushed their way in as the victim opened his front door to investigate sounds that had awakened him. The men in that incident were described as Hispanic, and ranging from 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 11. One was wearing a yellow shirt.
Tying up the victim with electric cord, the men broke down a closet door in a bedroom and stole a safe with cash that had been bolted to the floor, according to police. The robbers also took a laptop computer, a camcorder and a digital camera. No injuries were reported.
"Despite the seriousness of these recent crimes, Rockville Centre remains one of the safest local communities," said village spokesman Jeff Kluewer. "We always urge all of our residents to exercise normal caution in being aware of their surroundings and reporting any suspicious persons or activity to 911."
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