by Mike Schnitzel
Alain Surpris, 24, of 2030 Elk Drive in Far Rockaway, and Brian Jogie, 24, of 830 Hicksville Road in Far Rockaway, were taken into custody by Lynbrook Police Department detectives Leonard Conway and William Straub while their vehicle was stopped in traffic on Sunrise Highway at Peninsula Boulevard. Conway said that Surpris and Jogie are suspects in at least eight robberies since Nov. 9, at least three of which occurred in Lynbrook.
According to police, Surpris entered the tobacco shop armed with a handgun and demanded cash from the 34-year-old woman behind the register. The 55-year-old owner of the shop was present at the time, and handed Surpris $2,000 in cash. He left the store and got into a maroon 1998 Infiniti driven by Jogie. The two then fled eastbound on Sunrise Highway before being caught by police.
"The hold-up alarm went off first and gave us a heads-up," said Conway. "Then we received a call from the store owner, saying he was engaged in a foot pursuit of the vehicle and was on his cell phone. My partner and I saw the subjects' car stuck in traffic, and we arrested them. They couldn't get away."
Police found a ski mask, gloves, the $2,000 from the robbery and a loaded .32-caliber Colt automatic handgun in the vehicle, which was impounded by the Nassau County Police Department Robbery Squad.
Conway said that the robbery was part of a pattern the suspects had been following, and that police had patrol cars in the area. "Units were staked out at local convenience stores, because we knew [Surpris and Jogie] were going to hit during the week," he said.
Surpris and Jogie, who both have criminal records, according to police, were each charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree conspiracy, all felony charges. They were arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Nov. 24.
The Nassau County Robbery Squad is currently investigating their connections to the other robberies, and will pursue further charges if they are warranted, police said.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
