By ANTHONY BOTTAN
At around 12:35 a.m. last Sunday, the man approached a 26-year-old woman who was sleeping in a van parked in a lot at 479 Sunrise Highway, police said. The lot is behind a row of stores just east of Broadway. The man shined a light into the van, ordered the woman to get out and told her to put her hands on the vehicle.
According to 5th Squad detectives, the suspect, who appeared to be Hispanic, was six feet tall, clean shaven and had a brown crew cut, and was wearing a dark blue uniform and a badge around his neck with a name tag that read "Gonzalez." Police said there were no police patches on the arms of his uniform identifying his jurisdiction.
When the woman got out and put her hands on the van, the man frisked her, grabbing her breasts and fondling her genital area, police said. He told her not to park there again, and then sped off in a dark, unmarked car that the woman said resembled a police vehicle.
Some people who work in the area said they were shocked by the incident, because the parking lot is always well-lit and patrolled by police. Elizabeth Peragin, the manager of S.H. Laufer Vision World, where she has worked for 25 years, said she was surprised by the whole situation. "I have never felt threatened or scared walking through the parking lot," Peragin said.
An employee of a nearby carpet store, who identified himself only as David, questioned the woman's story. "The parking lot is always lit up," he said. "It's never desolate here. How do we know that this wasn't a prank? I find it strange this happened in this community because there's always cops here."
Lynbrook police and detectives are assisting 5th Squad detectives in the investigation. They ask anyone with information on the incident to call Crime Stoppers at (800)-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
Nassau County police have been in contact with their colleagues in Suffolk County, in the wake of a similar incident in North Lindenhurst on Oct. 5, in which a man impersonating a police officer robbed a woman driver. According to police, the woman was pulled over by a dark sedan with flashing lights. After the suspect asked the woman for her license and registration, he grabbed her wallet and fled.
Police said, however, that they do not believe the two crimes are related. The Lindenhurst crime was an obvious robbery, Smith explained, while the Lynbrook crime was not.
Detective Lt. Kevin Smith of the 5th Squad warned drivers that if they are stopped by someone who does not appear to be a police officer, they should ask the officer to radio in for assistance. Police also advise those who are stopped but fear for the safety to drive to a well-lighted area or a police facility at a safe speed and call 911.
"We are concerned with this situation, because it undermines the public's faith in our authority," Smith said.
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