By:Angela Marshall
Tony Rajender, the owner of Wireless For You, a cellular phone store on Merrick Road, was behind the counter when three men entered at about 1:44 p.m. Saturday. The men didn-t say a word. Two took positions near the front of the store while a third strode to the back and walked behind the counter.
Rajender asked what the man was doing and was told, Just shut up. I have a gun.
Acting quickly, Rajender picked up a phone and dialed 911, but the robber behind the counter grabbed the phone and threw it. Rajender grabbed a second phone and tried again, with the same results. This time the crook punched him in the forehead. Rajender was told to keep quiet or he would be shot.
One of the other robbers got out a large laundry bag, and the man behind the counter began throwing the store-s inventory to him. He filled the entire laundry bag, Rajender said Monday, standing behind the counter with an angry welt on his forehead left by the punch. It happened only in two minutes.
With their bag of loot in hand, the three robbers fled the store, crossing Merrick Road and heading for the Pantry Diner parking lot. Rajender followed, and saw them get into a waiting vehicle. He wrote down the license plate number and once again dialed 911. This time he got through, and police quickly broadcast the plate number to all officers.
The Rockville Centre Police Department enlisted the help of Nassau County-s 4th and 5th precincts, Emergency Services and Canine Unit as well as the Lynbrook and Malverne police departments.
Police quickly located the vehicle. Its occupants, all of Brooklyn, were arrested and charged with first- and second-degree robbery. The defendants are Levi Daniel, 22, Jason Cockburn, 19, Isaac Bilal, 18, and Adam Bilal, 18. The Bilals were also charged with false personation, and Adam Bilal with resisting arrest. All four were arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on April 18.
The store owner was quick to praise police response, calling it very good. He was told that his merchandise, which was recovered at the scene of the arrest, would be returned in about 30 days.
