by Anthony Rifilato
Police arrested Alex Gonzalez, 19, of 250 West Merrick Road in Freeport on Aug. 21. At around 1:35 a.m., police observed Gonzalez using a hammer to smash the glass window in the front door of OG Jewelry at 2504 Grand Ave. He reached inside the store and turned the handle, but was unable to gain entry due to a secondary dead bolt lock. Police officers Donald Reed and Gregory Echevarria then confronted Gonzalez and ordered him to drop the hammer. He was placed under arrest and brought to the First Precinct.
Because of the similarity of the last names, police later determined that Gonzalez's father owned the business he was burglarizing. "The father did request an arrest," said Detective Donald Messe.
Though Messe said he could not elaborate on the father's decision, he did say that Gonzalez admitted he was looking for money. A person who answered the phone at OG Jewelry had no comment.
Gonzalez was charged with third-degree burglary and was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead.
