By Robert Remler
One teen arrested was armed with a black handgun, police said, adding that Officer Gary Renick made the arrest on Gold Street in Valley Stream at about 9:30 P.M., about an hour after the teens' unsuccessful attempt to carry a cash register out of the Kim Wong Chinese Restaurant at 529 West Merrick Road.
Joseph Holden, 16, of Hook Creek Blvd.; George Sharples, 16, of 135th Avenue; Aaron Dobson, 17, 250th Street; and a juvenile, whose name police did not release, are residents of Rosedale.
Detective Sgt. Roden from the Fifth Precinct said that the four walked into the Chinese restaurant at about 8:30 P.M. Friday and announced a robbery.
Police say that one of the four teenagers displayed a black revolver. Another grabbed a cash register and started to run out of the restaurant with the others. Police said "there was no interaction" between the restaurant workers and the teenagers. Police said that the man who grabbed the register tried to carry it out of the restaurant, but was unable to lug it out the front door and dropped the machine.
Once the four were out of the restaurant, a worker dialed 911 and contacted the Fifth Precinct, according to Det. Sgt. Roden.
Police did not reveal how much money was in the cash register at the time of the incident, nor did they say how much the register weighed, though registers commonly range between 20 and 50 pounds.
After police arrived at the Kim Wong Restaurant, at least one witness to the incident went into a police car and identified the four who were stopped on Gold Street by Officer Renick.
The four men did not resist instructions to stop, said Det. Sgt. Roden. Back up units were called to Gold Street to assist the arresting officer.
Det. Sgt. Roden said that the Gang Unit was involved in the robbery investigation.
Fifth Precinct Inspector William McHale commended the work of his officers, especially Officer Renick. "It is very important to get these people early on in their crime wave," the commanding officer said.
According to police, the same four men robbed approximately $3,500 at gunpoint from Valley Beverage at 585 West Merrick Road at 6:10 P.M. Dec. 12.
Police said that two of the four entered the store wearing blue and white bandannas and a masked man produced a black handgun and demanded cash from the register.
Police said the person behind the counter complied and handed over the day's receipts. Police said the four then ran out of the store and fled on foot along Merrick Road.
At an arraignment in First District Court on Dec. 16, bail was set at $5,000 for Mr. Holden and Mr. Sharples and $7,500 for Mr. Dobson. Officials did not release information about the juvenile.
The four defendants are being represented by court appointed attorneys. All but the juvenile were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
