By: Anthony Rifilato
For the second time in four months, RadioShack in Baldwin was robbed by two gunmen in what has become an alarming string of armed robberies on Long Island and New York City.
The robbery occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 8:30 p.m., when two men, wearing ski masks and armed with handguns, entered RadioShack at the Baldwin Shopping Center and threatened two customers and two employees.
The victims were bound with duct tape while the men stole an undisclosed amount of money and electronic equipment before fleeing the store through a rear door. The suspects are both described as black males.
The victims, none of whom were injured, were able to free themselves and called 911. Employees would not comment, though one said, "We're all right."
This latest incident has some customers and businesses in the area on edge, especially since this is the second time the store has been targeted, in what police said is a related string of armed robberies in the area.
"We're investigating a pattern of four incidents in Nassau County," said Detective Sgt. Gary Schriffen, commanding officer of the Robbery Squad. "They all basically have the same mode of operation."
Schriffen said the pattern began at the Baldwin location on Oct. 6, when two men wearing ski masks and toting semi-automatic handguns forced two employees to the rear of the store and bound them with duct tape. They then took money from the register after ordering a 19-year-old employee to open it, and filled four black bags with electronic items such as cell phones, cameras, printers, camcorders and anything else that was easy to carry.
"They bring their own [duct] tape and steal small electronic pieces," said Schriffen.
A month after the Baldwin robbery, five men in ski masks, one armed, robbed a RadioShack in Merrick at 1690 Sunrise Highway, also using duct tape to bind employees before making off with a number of electronic items.
Then, on Dec. 10, three or four men, again armed and wearing ski masks, entered Rent-A-Center at 450 Sheridan Boulevard in Inwood at 7:30 p.m. and forced three employees into a bathroom. The suspects stole the employees' cash and credit cards and made off in a store-owned truck with high-end electronics worth thousands of dollars. Forty-five minutes later, New York City police officers recovered the truck in Far Rockaway, unoccupied and with most of the stolen items inside.
In all four instances, no one was injured, though the robbers seemed emboldened last week, as they targeted the same location again, this time while customers were in the store.
This is not the first time the men have targeted a RadioShack twice. Schriffen said they believe the suspects have robbed the same RadioShack store in Manhattan two times. The Nassau County Police Department is working with New York City's 105th Precinct and with Suffolk County police after a related robbery occurred at a RadioShack in Amityville.
Schriffen also said police are investigating whether any of the suspects are former RadioShack employees, or if any current employees are providing information that has aided the suspects, such as store procedures and the like. "We're trying to cover all those aspects," said Schriffen.
Some local business owners in the shopping center have said in the past that security on the premises is inadequate and that crime is a growing concern here. Police said increased security measures were put in place after the first robbery, but would not elaborate.
A spokesperson at RadioShack's corporate offices in Texas said its employees are unable to comment about such incidents, out of fear of retaliation or potentially hindering any police investigation. RadioShack has not offered a reward, saying it is a police issue. The company said it does offer programs for employees, such as counseling to help with personal issues and traumatic events like robberies.
Police are asking anyone with information on the latest incident to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
