Nassau County Police have tied the recent Great Neck area break-ins to more violent crimes including an assault in Hempstead and the rape of a girl in Texas in 2009.
A meeting called last week to calm the fears of Great Neck residents regarding the recent home invasions in the area apparently heightened concerns even more when police disclosed just hours before the meeting the link between the suspect in the break-ins and the other two crimes.
Marcia Rotman, president of the Great Neck Civic Association said she called a “benign” meeting Jan. 13 at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Kings Point so residents could get updates from police regarding the recent string of home invasions in the area but she said what they heard was more than she expected.
“It certainly has frightened all of our residents,” said Marcia Rotman. “I don’t think it alleviated anybody’s fear.”
After local media outlets learned of the announcement by the Nassau County police, about 70 people attended the meeting including Nassau County police representatives, the Kings Point Police Commissioner Jack Miller and Mayor Michael Kalnic, and Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth.
“Basically, we wanted to remind people to be cautious,” said Miller. “We still have stepped up patrols in the area and are working closely with Nassau County.”
Miller said any suspicious activity should be reported right away to the police who continue to search for the suspect, described as a 5-foot, 2-inch tall day laborer from Honduras with short, dark hair, possibly a limp, who speaks Spanish.
“We are trying to flood the county with flyers,” said Detective Vincent Garcia, a public information officer with the NCPD. “We feel that somebody has seen this guy and someone will recognize him.”
Last week, police linked the suspect to other crimes through a national database of evidence which has left residents uneasy and police on alert.
On July 16, a 51-year-old woman hired the suspect, known as ‘Marvin’ at Home Depot in Hempstead to do plumbing work inside her residence. The victim complained about the quality of the work, the suspect became enraged and struck her in the head several times with a hammer causing her skull to be fractured.
Through DNA from a hat left behind at house in Great Neck, police have linked the suspect to a Hempstead assault in July and the string of recent Great Neck home invasions, and the abduction and rape of a 2-year-old girl in Laredo, Texas.
A suspect entered a Lighthouse Road residence in Kings Point on Dec. 15 through a bathroom window and entered the bedroom where two girls, ages 1 and 5, were sleeping. The 5 year old was awakened and startled to see a man standing over the bed.
In Kings Point on Lighthouse Road on Dec. 15, a 63-year-old year old female discovered an unknown male subject looking at her through the broken glass of the back door.
The suspect held a kitchen knife to the throat of a 61-year-old female victim on Georgian Lane in Great Neck before fleeing through the back door.
On Nov. 30, a suspect was seen in a rear yard on Potters Court in Great Neck attempting to gain entry into a home through rear sliding door before fleeing the scene.
According to detectives, a 15-year-old female was awakened Dec. 12 by an unknown male holding a wet cloth across her face. The victim struggled to free herself at which time suspect fled in an unknown direction.
Area residents have been cautioned to set alarms and lock windows and doors, and notify police if they hear suspicious noises.
Anyone with information about these crimes or the suspect is encouraged to call toll-free to 1-800-244-TIPS (8477). All calls will be kept confidential. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.
Police have contacted “America’s Most Wanted” to help with the case.
Email: rjacques@theislandnow.com
