By Mike Schnitzel
Police received a tip that Patrick F. Kegel, 42, of West Hempstead, and his wife, Karen, 36, of West Islip, were hiding out at the Surfside Motel in Howard Beach, Queens, where they were arrested on Jan. 3. Police recovered $3,900 of the $4,600 that was stolen from the Bank of New York in the Jan. 2 robbery. The couple are also suspected of robbing two banks in West Hempstead and one in Rockville Centre over the past month.
Both suspects were charged with four counts of third-degree robbery. Patrick Kegel was also charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument, and Karen Kegel was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, based on outstanding Nassau County warrants.
Police said they believe the pair netted nearly $10,000 from the four heists. The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges in First District Court in Hempstead and were being held without bail at Nassau County jail, awaiting a court date on Monday.
"They decided to take up bank robbery to support themselves," said Det. John Giambrone, head of the Robbery Squad, at a press conference in Mineola on Jan. 4. "They used the money for food, hotels, and they also have an alcohol addiction."
Police said that while Karen Kegel would wait outside in their car, her husband would enter a bank and demand money, informing tellers that he had a partner nearby with a gun. He never showed a weapon to any of the tellers. Giambrone said the couple would then hide out at a hotel in New Jersey or Connecticut while the heat died down.
The Kegels had been released from jail in July, according to Patrick's mother, Mary Jane Cannata. "They had no place to go," she said. "They released them to a Home Depot parking lot. I tried to help them as much as I could but they couldn't live here."
Before being jailed, the couple lived in Cannata's West Hempstead home with her and another of her sons. Cannata said she threw them out after discovering that they had stolen credit cards from the home. "They were drug addicts," she said. "They needed a lot of help, and they were desperate."
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
