5 teenagers arrested for allegedly burglarizing a dozen businesses in Syosset

SYOSSET, Long Island (WABC) — Five teenagers were arrested in a connection with a string of burglaries in Nassau County Tuesday night.

Surveillance pictures show several teens throwing objects into the glass windows of shops along Cold Spring Road and other nearby streets in Syosset.

At least 12 businesses were burglarized and damaged in the smashing spree.

Danny’s Chinese Kitchen on Jackson Avenue has only ben open for a week and was one of the businesses hit by the teens.

“About six times they threw the rock,” owner Randy Klein said. “Yeah, five or six times and then they were also kicking it to try to get in, which they couldn’t.”

Police said the suspects also trashed a cash register at Bagel Master on Cold Spring Road and stole cash from Cardinali Bakery.

An investigation conducted by Nassau County detectives led them to arrest the teens Wednesday.

They were taken into custody at the FirstMercy, a non-profit foster care facility run by the Sisters of Mercy.

FirstMercy released a statement in connection to the arrests, saying:

“For over 125 years, MercyFirst has strived to provide the highest quality care to children, youth, and families, and to be a respectful neighbor in the Syosset community. We are extremely saddened that local businesses were vandalized and stolen from and disappointed that young people from our campus allegedly participated. We do not tolerate this behavior and are devastated that our local businesses have been harmed in this manner. We have taken immediate action, are cooperating fully with the local authorities in their investigation, and will continue to meet with local leaders to further our strong relationship with the Syosset community.”

The burglaries refueled the debate surrounding the current bail system.

“What’s going to stop them from coming back?” Bagel Master owner Vadim Nayman said. “Why is this not gonna get worse?”

Nassau County police officials say that repeat offenders and crime sprees like these put a strain on the department’s resources.

“It’s a problem for us,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “Sixteen cars went out of service yesterday to handle this. If the system is tying us up, the system is broken. It’s got to be fixed.”

Two 16-year-olds were arrested and arraigned in Youth Court.

A 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds were released and will appear in Family Court later this month.

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