By: Nicole Falco
The six inches of snow that fell on Long Island last Wednesday night and early Thursday morning created a host of problems for morning commuters and prompted school closings throughout Nassau County, but it wasn-t all bad, according to police.
As Joseph Sciara, 36, of Valley Stream, walked from house to house along Hungry Harbor Road Wednesday night, allegedly checking for unlocked doors in order to commit burglary, he left behind a trail of footprints that led police straight to him, according to Sgt. Jeanne Gans of the Fifth Squad.
Police say Sciara and an accomplice, Diana Plessner, 32, of Staten Island, were driving a 1991 Chevrolet van that had been reported stolen from Fulton Street earlier that night. The two parked the van on Roosevelt Avenue, where Sciara is believed to have exited the vehicle. Sciara cased a few different houses on the block before finding an unlocked garage door, police said. He allegedly took a set of golf clubs, a golf bag and a golf caddy from the garage. He stored the items in the back of the van and drove to Hungry Harbor Road, police said.
Once again, the suspect exited the vehicle and told Plessner to drive while he allegedly began checking for unlocked doors on the second street. Unbeknown to the suspects, however, police had been called by an unidentified witness.
Police officer Kenneth Simco of the Fifth Precinct noticed footprints in the snow along Hungry Harbor Road that apparently led from house to house. The officer followed them to the backyard of a house where Sciara was found hiding behind a swimming pool, police said.
When Simco approached Sciara, he saw that the suspect had a box cutter, with the blade exposed, in his hand. The officer ordered Sciara to drop the weapon, which he did, but a struggle ensued between the two when the officer attempted an arrest, police said.
Sciara was arrested at the scene at approximately 1 a.m. Plessner, who was still in the van at the time, was also arrested. Sciara, of 26 Lamberson St., was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and resisting arrest. Plessner, of 36 Arthur Ave., was charged with third-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Gans said detectives are also investigating the possibility that Sciara and Plessner are responsible for a number of burglaries in the area.
