By JUDY RATTNER
According to police, two men accosted a woman as she entered the hallway of 59 S. Centre Ave. on March 24. One of the men brandished a gun, police said, and the pair forced their way into the woman's apartment and tied her up. They stole a box containing jewelry and a camera, according to detectives. The woman freed herself and called police a half hour later. No injuries were reported.
Police described the suspect with the gun as a Hispanic man about 25 years old, 5 feet 10 and wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. The other suspect is a Hispanic man about 28, 5 feet 8 with long hair, wearing a cream-colored sweatshirt and jeans.
In the March 27 incident, which took place at 457 Merrick Road at about 1:30 p.m., five men armed with handguns forced their way into the house by kicking in a rear door, police said. They bound two men and two women inside and ransacked the house. According to detectives, the suspects stole jewelry, laptop computers, LCD televisions, video games, personal papers and $1,870. They also stole a vehicle, which New York City detectives later found in the Lindenwood section of Queens. The victims, who did not require immediate medical attention, managed to free themselves and call police.
Detectives describe the first suspect in the Merrick Road home invasion as a Hispanic man of around 25, 5 feet 6, with a medium build, short dark hair, brown eyes, medium complexion, wearing a black baseball cap, gray and white hooded sweatshirt and a dark wool jacket.
The second suspect is a Hispanic man between 35 and 39, 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 9, with a medium build, short dark hair, brown eyes, light complexion, wearing a black baseball cap, gray hooded sweatshirt and a black
jacket.
The third suspect is a Hispanic man, 32 or 33, 5 feet 4, with a stocky build, brown eyes, dark complexion and short, dark, gel-slicked hair. The other two suspects were described only as Hispanic men with brown eyes.
As of press time, police were not saying whether the two incidents were related. They described the investigations as active and ongoing.
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
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