By Robert Remler and John C. O'Connell
A series of house burglaries in the northwestern section of Valley Stream continues without an arrest and has now reached 32 crimes since December.
The spree almost ended last week when a member of the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol spotted a man who may be the perpetrator of the rash of break-ins and burglaries.
"I couldn't get too close because I was in a marked car," said the Civilian Patrol member, who asked not to be identified. He saw a man go into a house at the end of Georgia Street about 3:30 last Friday afternoon. "I thought he was a guy coming home from shopping. He was a guy with a black jacket, a little lower than the belt line. It was shiny. He was a dark guy. It's tough to tell age, probably in his 40s or 50s; he didn't look young. He had a stocky build, about 5'10", 5'11".
The witness said the man went into the first house with a white, plastic trash bag with something in it. "I said to myself, what is this poor guy walking all the way from the store with this bag. And then he went up the driveway. Couple minutes later, down he comes. ... Then he came back. I said this doesn't look right. Then he comes down the middle of the block and ... he went up the driveway next to [another house]. ... I dialed 911, and went past him. He came down the driveway again, walking down the street very slow, and I went by him."
When police arrived, the Civilian Patrol member told them the man must have gone into one of three adjacent houses. "In the middle house, they found a break-in. ... Either he went over a fence or laid low."
There were police cars "all over the place" and a police helicopter assisted in the search. "It looks like the [Fifth] Precinct is really covering this. I never saw so much action: unmarked cars, detectives, helicopter. They're doing the job," he said.
Police say they are now using additional patrols to bring the crime spree to an end. Police Officer Stan Slevinski, crime analyst at the Fifth Precinct, said that the investigation now includes uniform and unmarked units. "He knows that we are out there," said Slevinski. And they are grateful for the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol's help. "We just want them to be our eyes and ears," he said.
Police encourage residents in the area to call 911 if they see suspicious activity. "Call 911, because we want to get the quickest response," Slevinski said.
The most recent burglaries occurred on Feb. 7 through Feb. 10.
Rear windows or doors were used to enter four of the last five homes burglarized between Feb. 7 and Feb. 10.
Homes were broken into on DeWitt St., Foster Ave., North Waldinger St., Jasper St. and Henry St.
Items and money taken from the homes included hundreds of dollars in cash, jewelry, stereos, computers, a television set and a VCR, police said.
In another section of Valley Stream, a rear window was used to get into a house on North Cottage Street. Police said the home was burglarized between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 Police said that $1,500, three diamond rings and a Port Authority retirement plaque with a shield were taken from the house.
