By: Nicole Falco
According to police, the suspects, one of whom was carrying a gold-colored .38-caliber handgun, entered NY Mini-Mart, the convenience store on the site of NY Petroleum, 760 W. Merrick Road, at about 7:30 p.m. and demanded money from the two attendants on duty. One suspect knocked down one of the attendants, a 31-year-old Brooklyn resident, police reported, then rifled through his pockets, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. Before fleeing the scene, one of the suspects fired one shot into the torso of the attendant as he lay face down on the ground, police said.
The suspects fled on foot, heading south on Broadway toward Harvard Street. The second attendant, a 36-year-old Valley Stream resident, was uninjured, police said.
The wounded attendant was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. His condition has since been upgraded to stable, according to Robbery Squad Detective Sgt. Gary Schriffen. According to a co-worker, the victim is a part-time employee who had not been on the job long.
Robbed again
The robbery was the fifth at that location since 2000, according to Police Officer Stan Slevinski, crime analyst for the Fifth Precinct. The others occurred Dec. 13, 2002; Nov. 26, 2003; Oct. 4, 2004; and Nov. 13, 2004. Also, during the past five years there have been four burglaries reported at that location, as well as six reports of either petty larceny, grand larceny or criminal mischief, Slevinski said. The gas station and mini-mart has changed names several times, according to Slevinski. It has previously been called Big Apple Gas, Nicki Gas and Coastal.
According to the victim's co-worker, surveillance cameras had been installed at the store, but were stolen. "At night there are no other businesses open there," Slevinski said of the location. "It's very vulnerable. ... It's a great location for a gas station, but a terrible location as far as crime [because] they are the first gas station in Nassau County as you travel east [on Merrick Road], as you cross over the county line."
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
A possible pattern?
According to Schriffen, police are looking into the possibility that Saturday's robbery is one more in a string of recent robberies in Valley Stream, Elmont and Franklin Square. "Their descriptions are similar to other robbery incidents in the Valley Stream and Elmont areas," Schriffen said, "although we did not have shots fired in the other incidents."
It was originally reported that the victim had been shot without provocation. However, after further investigation, police now believe the victim may have tried to resist the suspects. "Though it doesn't lessen the vicious nature of this attack," Schriffen said.
Besides the incident at the mini-mart, there have been at least 12 armed robberies of pedestrians and businesses since November that police are investigating for possible links, Slevinski said. Three of those robberies occurred in Valley Stream. The most recent took place Feb. 1 at the Exxon station on North Central Avenue. At about 7:20 that night, two perpetrators entered the station and demanded money from the attendant on duty. The attendant complied, police said. No injuries were reported. The perpetrators fled on foot through the Roslyn Savings Bank parking lot.
On Dec. 14, at about 7:15 p.m., a 33-year-old Valley Stream man, his 30-year-old wife and their child were robbed at a Valley Stream bank machine, police said. The man had parked his vehicle at Washington Mutual Bank's drive-up ATM, at 400 W. Sunrise Highway, and had just withdrawn $20 when he and his family were approached by two perpetrators. No injuries were reported.
On Dec. 18, at 1 a.m., according to police, a 20-year-old Valley Stream man told police that he and a friend had just parked their car on Central Avenue and Stephen Place when they were robbed at gunpoint by two men wearing ski masks. The victims reported that their wallets, cell phone and jewelry were stolen. They had also handed over the car keys, but they were able to retrieve them after the suspects fled, Slevinski said. No injuries were reported.
Kathy Leistner contributed to this story. Comments about it? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
